4th International Conference on Rain Water Cistern Systems
Manila , Philipines - August, 1989

Section E: Environmental And Water Quality Aspects

Paper E.4

Virulence Characteristics Of Bacteria Isolated From Cistern Water Systems In Rural Northern Kentucky, U.S.A

Dennis J. Lye
Northern Kentucky University, USA

Abstract

In Situ membrane filter procedures were used to lest the potential virulence activities of bacteria isolated from surface, treated distribution, and cistern water samples. Cistern samples were found to contain higher levels of bacteria expressing haemolytic and/or cytotoxic activities than either the treated water samples or the natural surface water samples. Cistern isolates recovered from a variety of different isolation media exhibited higher levels of cytotoxic isolates than the other two sources. When the levels of multiply virulent bacterial strains were compared. Cistern water contained lower levels than surface water and resembled the treated water sources. However, the cistern water contained five times number of cytotoxic isolates that were found in treated water. Cistern water systems appear to have a decreased level of total bacterial virulence activity when compared to surface water but cistern samples exhibited The highest levels of cytotoxic isolates of ail water tested.

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