Abstract

OCCURRENCE OF YERSINIA ENTEROCOLITICA IN DRINKING WATER IN THE ABSENCE OF INDICATOR ORGANISM

Sahota P, Sharma N, Kirandip and Pandove G

Abstract

The drinking water quality with respect to bacteriological and physicochemical examination was done for 238 drinking water samples from different water utilities (municipal corporation supply taps, submersible pumps, filter samples, water tanks, storage tanks, water coolers, etc.) of urban areas of Ludhiana, Punjab, India. Standard methods were used for the analysis of pH, TDS, while E. coli, Yersinia spp. determination was carried out using BWTK and Multiple Tube Technique. Yersinia spp. was detected in 164 (68.91%) water samples. Statistical correlation was examined between the bacteriological and physicochemical parameters and found to be independent from each other. Difference between mean in each case, high standard deviation indicate that the distribution is widely off normal and exhibit an asymmetric distribution. The occurrence of E. coli was also not found to be associated with the presence or absence of Yersinia enterocolitica. So, E. coli was not found to be a suitable indicator for Yersinia spp. The findings of the current study reports the occurrence of Y. enterocolitica in drinking water and suggesting that there is need for further surveillance studies to understand the global epidemiology of emerging pathogens.

Keywords: BWTK, correlation, indicator orgainsm, urban areas, drinking water, Yersinia enterocolitica.