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. 1999 Jul;65(7):3142-7.
doi: 10.1128/AEM.65.7.3142-3147.1999.

Discriminant analysis of ribotype profiles of Escherichia coli for differentiating human and nonhuman sources of fecal pollution

S Parveen  1 , K M Portier, K Robinson, L Edmiston, M L Tamplin
Affiliations

Discriminant analysis of ribotype profiles of Escherichia coli for differentiating human and nonhuman sources of fecal pollution

S Parveen et al. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1999 Jul.

Abstract

Estuarine waters receive fecal pollution from a variety of sources, including humans and wildlife. Escherichia coli is a ubiquitous bacterium in the intestines of warm-blooded animals and is used as an indicator of fecal pollution. However, its presence does not specifically differentiate sources of pollution. A total of 238 E. coli isolates from human sources (HS) and nonhuman sources (NHS) were collected from the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, from associated sewage treatment plants, and directly from animals and tested for ribotype (RT) profile. HS and NHS isolates showed 41 and 61 RT profiles, respectively. At a similarity index of ca. 50%, HS and NHS isolates demonstrated four clusters, with the majority of HS and NHS isolates located in clusters C and D; isolates obtained directly from human and animal feces also could be grouped within these clusters. Discriminant analysis (DA) of RT profiles showed that 97% of the NHS isolates and 100% of the animal fecal isolates were correctly classified. The average rate of correct classification for HS and NHS isolates was 82%. We conclude that DA of RT profiles may be a useful method for identifying HS and NHS fecal pollution and may potentially facilitate management practices.

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Figures

FIG. 1
FIG. 1
Binary metric plot of average similarity linkage for RT profiles of HS isolates digested with HindIII. The prefix “SPS” indicates HS isolates. The similarity index is indicated on the left axis.
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
Binary metric plot of average similarity linkage for RT profiles of NHS isolates digested with HindIII. The prefix “SP” indicates NHS isolates. The similarity index is indicated on the left axis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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