Journal of Applied Microbiology ISSN 1364-5072
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Survival of enteric bacteria and coliphage MS2 in pure human urine A. Chandran1, S.K. Pradhan2 and H. Heinonen-Tanski2 1 School of Environmental Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India 2 Department of Environmental Science, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland
Keywords enteric virus, human urine, indicator, pathogenic bacteria, survival. Correspondence Helvi Heinonen-Tanski, Department of Environmental Science, University of Kuopio, POB 1627, FIN 70211 Kuopio, Finland. E-mail:
[email protected]
2008 ⁄ 2188: received 22 December 2008, revised 24 March 2009 and accepted 1 April 2009 doi:10.1111/j.1365-2672.2009.04353.x
Abstract Aims: The survival of Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Enterococcus faecalis and coliphage MS2 was studied in stored, fresh and diluted (1 : 1) human urine at 15 and 30C. Methods and Results: Survival rate was studied by the plate count method. All the organisms showed rapid inactivation in stored urine, but they survived better in diluted and fresh urine. The high pH level and temperature were the major factors found to influence the survival of the micro-organisms with the survival rate being higher at 15C than at 30C. Conclusions: The destruction of all micro-organisms in stored urine required
