Molecular methods for the detection of virulent bacteria in environmental and clinical samples

It is widely accepted that strains of bacteria belonging to the species Escherichia coli may exist as either non-pathogenic, commensal members of the gut microflora of warm blooded animals, or as pathogenic organisms capable of causing potentially life threatening disease in healthy human and/or animal hosts. For these reasons E. coli is regarded as an ideal indicator of faecal contamination of water supplies. For the purposes of rapidly assessing bacteriological water quality and also providing a means of genetically describing clinical isolates, molecular methods have been developed for the sensitive and quantitative detection of specific E.coli genes associated with the production of disease in humans and animals by these organisms. We have shown that it is possible to use such methods to detect the presence of these genes from environmental samples in a laboratory setting. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of CalAqua, CabWater, Noosa Council and Caloundra City Council