

@article {613,
	title = {Escherichia coli virulence genes profile of surface waters as an indicator of water quality},
	journal = {Water Research},
	volume = {45},
	number = {19},
	year = {2011},
	pages = {6321 - 6333},
	abstract = {We compared the presence of 58 known virulence genes (VGs) associated with Escherichia coli strains causing intestinal (InPEC) and extra-intestinal (ExPEC) infections in three estuarine, four brackish and 13 freshwater sites during the dry and wet seasons. The most common \{VGs\} observed in water samples during the dry season belonged to ExPEC (traT; 80\% and ompA; 70\%) whilst east1 (70\%) gene was the most common among InPEC. More types of \{VGs\} were observed in water samples during wet season and included those found among InPEC (e.g. eaeA; 100\%; fyuA, 90\%; paa, 65\%; cdt, 60\%; and stx2, 60\%) and ExPEC (e.g. iroNE.coli, 90\%; iss, 90\% and kpsMTII, 80\%). Eight \{VGs\} were found exclusively in the wet season, of which four were found in all three water types indicating their association with storm-water run off. The number of \{VGs\} associated with ExPEC were significantly (P~\&lt;~0.05) higher in only brackish and estuarine waters during the wet season compared to the dry season. There was no correlation between the number of E. coli and the presence of \{VGs\} in any of the water types in both seasons but we found similarities in \{VG\} profiles of sites with similar land uses.},
	keywords = {Indicator of water quality},
	issn = {0043-1354},
	doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2011.09.018},
	url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0043135411005379},
	author = {N. Masters and A. Wiegand and W. Ahmed and M. Katouli}
}
