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The Significance of Bact. aerogenes in Water

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

J.D. Allan Gray
J.D. Allan Gray
Affiliation:
From the Bacteriology Department, University of Liverpool.
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1. Bact. aerogenes is practically universally present, although in small numbers in the stools of normal adult humans. The stools of one individual, however, repeatedly gave negative results. The organism has also been isolated from the faeces of horse, cow, sheep, pig, dog, cat, wild rabbit, wild rat and wild mouse.

2. The use of modifications of the citrate medium, containing lithium or barium, is useful in the isolation of Bact. aerogenes when B. pyocyaneus is abundant.

3. Bact. aerogenes predominates over B. coli in soil, the contamination of which by faecal material was unlikely. The B. coli isolated from such soil do not show differences by the tests used from typical faecal strains of B. coli.

4. In the municipal water supply of Liverpool the proportion of Bact. aerogenes to B. coli is relatively high and increases on storage.

5. In water contaminated with faeces, the proportion of Bact. aerogenes to B. coli is relatively low but is rapidly reversed on storage. This is largely due to the death of the B. coli, but may in part be also due to multiplication of the Bact. aerogenes present.

6. Preponderance of Bact. aerogenes over B. coli in a water supply is indicative of either (a) contact with soil which is not contaminated with fresh faeces, or (b) long past faecal contamination.

7. Preponderance of Bact. aerogenes over B. coli in a water supply may, for practical purposes, be regarded as an indication of freedom on the part of the water from pathogenic organisms, including B. typhosus and B. paratyphosus B.

8. The repeated examination of faeces during storage showed a marked increase followed by a gradual decrease in the total number of organisms present. The decrease coincided with an increase in the numbers of Bact.aerogenes relative to the organisms present. Whether an absolute increase in the numbers of Bact. aerogenes occurred, was not determined.

9. A plea is made for uniformity among the tests adopted by future workers for the identification of coliform organisms, and an exact statement of the methods employed.

The writer desires to thank Prof. J. M. Beattie for helpful advice throughout the course of the investigation.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 32 , Issue 1 , January 1932 , pp. 132 - 142
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1932

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