Water Microbiology

Lecture 3
 Water Microbiology
WATER…
… is responsible for, approximately

80%
of all infectious disease -
not just waterborne diseases,
but any disease
where water plays a role… WATER
ASSOCIATED DISEASES
 40% of
annual
worldwide
deaths
attributed to
these
diseases
 H2O can act as a vector (carrier) for the
transmission of bacterial, viral and
protozoan agents which cause a variety of
diseases (mainly intestinal)

It can also be linked to viral/protozoan

diseases transmitted by insects (aquatic
hosts or insect breeding in H2O - indirect)
1 There are waterborne diseases, such as
cholera, typhoid, bacillary dysentery,
infectious hepatitis;
2 Water-washed diseases, such as
trachoma-eye infection (Chlamydia
trachomatis) , scabies;
3 Water-based diseases, such as
schistosomiasis (parasitic disease)

4 And water-related diseases (involving an

insect vector) such as malaria, sleeping
sickness (parasitic disease) .
 1. Water-borne diseases
Mainly enteric diseases resulting from the ingestion of
faecally-contaminated H2O (man, animal and bird
excreta)

In developed countries, H2O -borne diseases are mostly

low infective dose infections(meaning that little contamination will cause
disease among people) - cholera and typhoid fever (rare), viral
infections; Campylobacter (bacterium) and infections -
becoming more common.

All water borne diseases can also be transmitted by other

routes that permit ingestion of faecal matter - e.g.
contaminated food
2. Water-washed diseases
 Diseases linked to H20 scarcity and resultant poor
personal hygiene

 Obviously more common in tropical, 3rd world

countries where H2O supplies may be scarce

 Intestinal: Shigella (dysentery); typhoid; cholera;

Campylobacter;

 Non-intestinal: Infections of the skin and mucous

membranes - bacterial skin sepsis; scabies; fungal
infections such as ring-worm; fungal mouth ulcers
etc.
3. Water-based diseases
 Diseases caused by pathogens that have a complex
life-cycle which involves an intermediate aquatic
host

 All of these diseases are caused by worms, e.g.

Schistosomiasis caused by the Schistosoma worm
which uses aquatic snails as an intermediate host,
also the Guinea worm (Dracunculus medimensis)
which uses a small crustacean (arthropods) as an
intermediate host
4. Water-related diseases
Diseases caused by pathogens carried by insects that
live near H2O and act as mechanical vectors. Very
difficult to control and diseases are very severe.

 Yellow fever (viral disease) is transmitted by the

mosquito Aedes spp.;

 Dengue (viral) carried by the mosquito Aedes

aegypti (breeds in water);

 Malaria is caused by a protozoan (Plasmodium

spp.) and is also spread by a mosquito (Anopheles
spp.);
 Disease and Sources of Agent in General
Microbial Agent
Transmission Water Supply Symptoms

Dry mouth, blurred

Bacteria can enter a
and/or double
wound from
vision, difficulty
contaminated water
swallowing, muscle
sources. Can enter
Clostridium weakness, difficulty
the gastrointestinal
Botulism botulinum breathing, slurred
tract by consuming
speech, vomiting
contaminated drinking
and sometimes
water or (more
diarrhea. Death is
commonly) food
usually caused by
respiratory failure.

Produces dysentery
Most commonly
Drinking water like symptoms
Campylobacterio caused by
contaminated with along with a high
sis Campylobacter
feces fever. Usually lasts
jejuni
2–10 days.
 Disease and Sources of Agent in General
Microbial Agent
Transmission Water Supply Symptoms

In severe forms it
is known to be one
of the most rapidly
fatal illnesses
Spread by the Drinking water
known. Symptoms
Cholera bacterium Vibrio contaminated with the
include very watery
cholerae bacterium
diarrhoea, nausea,
cramps,
nosebleed, rapid
pulse, vomiting.

Drinking water
Caused by many Symptoms include
contaminated with the
bacteria of diarrhea, fever,
Salmonellosis bacteria. More
genus vomiting, and
common as a food
Salmonella abdominal cramps
borne illness.
 Disease and Sources of Agent in General
Microbial Agent
Transmission Water Supply Symptoms
Legionnaires’
disease has severe
symptoms such as
(90% of cases Contaminated water:
fever, chills,
caused by the organism thrives in
Legionellosis pneumonia,
Legionella warm aquatic
muscle aches and
pneumophila) environments.
occasionally
diarrhea and
vomiting

Mostly diarrhea.
Can cause death in
immunocompromis
Certain strains of
ed
Escherichia coli Water contaminated
E. coli Infection individuals, the
(commonly E. with the bacteria
very young, and the
coli)
elderly due to
dehydration from
prolonged illness.
Increasing Crises Worldwide
Population growth
Pollution
with increased flooding leads to
Climate change breakdown of sanitary
infrastructure and further spread of
disease
Engineered systems
(such as water treatment and
distribution systems)

Population (increasing numbers of elderly &

susceptibility immuno-suppressed people)
 Problems involved in getting clean,
safe water to people in the
developing world

 Water supplies in communities

highly susceptible to municipal,
agricultural, and industrial
contamination.

 e.g., in Pakistan, huge

number of people live in
slums sited in low-lying
points, and at end-of-pipe
sites.
Standing water is a major problem in malaria
and other vector-borne diseases.

Moreover, children routinely play in this

water - further exposing themselves to
disease.

Cholera, giardiasis, hepatitis, shigellosis,

typhoid, and AGI
Other infections such as legionellosis,
and mycobacterial infections occur, but
are seldom diagnosed.
 Absence of Sanitary
Infrastructure
Often in the developing world gastroenteritis
and other infections cause unnecessary
mortality

 e.g. Massai in Kenya each

year the current infant
mortality rate is 20% for
children < 5 years old from
diarrhoeal infections -
Campylobacter/E. coli
 Water quality tests
 Coliforms are aerobic or facultatively
anaerobic, gram negative, non-endospore
forming rods that ferment lactose with the
production of acid and gas within 48 hours
of been placed in a medium at 35 C

 FecalColiforms predominantly E. coli are

used to indicate the presence of human
faeces
 Coliforms
 Aerobic or facultatively anaerobic, gram-
negative, non–endospore forming rods that
ferment lactose to acid + gas within 48 hr, at
35°C
 Indicator organisms
 Used to detect fecal contamination
 MPN
 Most probable number/100 ml of water
  Water Treatment

 Water pollution

• Water pollution can occur three ways

 Physically

 Chemically

 Biologically

• Polluted waters support a greater than

normal microbial load
© 2012 Pearson Education Inc.
 Water Treatment
 Waterborne illnesses

• Consuming contaminated water can cause

various diseases
 Diarrheal diseases occur worldwide

• Waterborne diseases rare in the United

States
• Water treatment removes most waterborne
pathogens
 Water Treatment

• Potable water is water considered safe to

drink
 Water is not devoid of microorganisms

and chemicals
 Disease-causing microbes may be

present

• Treatment of drinking water involves four

stages
 Water Treatment
 Waterheld in a holding reservoir long
enough that suspended matter settles

 Flocculationtreatment uses a chemical

such as alum to settle colloidal material

 Filtration removes protozoan cyst and other

microbes

 Drinking water is disinfected with chlorine to

kill remaining pathogenic bacteria
  Water Treatment

 Water quality testing

• Indicator organisms (possible presence of

pathogens)
 E. coli or other coliforms used as indicator organisms
 E. coli is a good indicator organism
• Consistently found in human waste
• Survives in water as long as most pathogens
• Easily detected by simple tests

© 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Figure 25.8 Two water quality tests-overview
 Water Treatment

 Treatment of wastewater

• Wastewater
 Water that leaves homes or businesses after use

• Wastewater contains a variety of contaminants

• Treatment intended to remove or reduce

contaminants
HOWEVER, NOT JUST A
PROBLEM OF THE
DEVELOPING WORLD
 Problems with
Microbiological Monitoring
Current indicator organisms may not be
adequate for the following reasons:

The presence of coliforms in water only

reflects sewage contamination - not potential
pathogens like Legionella

Coliform behaviour and die-off is not

comparable to the behaviour of viruses and
protozoa

Die-off rates of faecal coliforms have been

demonstrated to vary enormously
 Problems with Microbiological
Methods (cont’d)

Techniques used to identify indicators

rely on growth and culture - many
organisms can be viable in the
environment but un-culturable using
current methods (Plate-count)

Molecular methods based on DNA

probes and PCR still not adequate
Legionella (pathogenic Gram negative bacterium),
is one of the top three causes of sporadic,
pneumonia. Difficult to distinguish, many cases go
unreported.

For growth Legionella requires the following:

stagnation; temperatures between 20° and 50°C (optimal
growth range is 35° - 46°C);

pH between 5.0 and 8.5;

 Conclusions
 Partial solutions to the problems of
maintaining clean safe water for all include:
1. Monitoring of antibiotic resistance and
changing virulence

2. Population surveys

3. Low-cost solutions to treatment

4. Waste-water reclamation (is former wastewater

(sewage) that is treated to remove solids and certain
impurities, and used in sustainable landscaping irrigation