[Detection of bdellovibrios and bacteriophages in the seawater near the shores]

Abstract

The frequency of occurrence of bdellovibrios and intestinal bacteriophages at the sites of contamination in the sea and along the sea shore and at the points remote from the sources of contamination was studied. At the contaminated sites bdellovibrios were revealed in 73.3-100% and bacteriophage in 75-83.4% of the samples. There was found to be a moderate correlative association between the bdellovibrios, bacteriophages and the coli titre. In the water of the shore region of the sea bdellovibrios were found in 15.4%, and bacteriophages in 20.9% of the samples. An attempt at a sanitary assessment of beaches by the data of bdellovibrio detection was unsuccessful. There was found no correlative association between the coli-titre and the bdellovibrios in the water of the shore area. Bdellovibrio proved to play an insignificant role in the processes of self-purification from the intestinal microbial flora of weakly and moderately contaminated sea water. Taking into consideration the high resistance in the sea water of the intestinal bacteriophages preference was given to them over the bdellovibrios as the index of the sea water contamination.