Comparison of culturable fecal coliforms and Escherichia coli enumeration in freshwaters
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Updated: Jul 13, 2026
Culture Methods to Determine the Limit of Detection and Survival in Transport Media of Campylobacter Jejuni in Human Fecal Specimens
Published on: March 10, 2020
Tamara Garcia-Armisen1, Josué Prats, Pierre Servais
1Ecologie des Systèmes Aquatiques, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus de la Plaine, C.P. 221, Boulevard du Triomphe, B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium.
Abstract:
Fecal coliforms (FC) counts were compared with Escherichia coli counts in differently contaminated freshwater samples (n = 166). FC were enumerated by plate count on triphenyl 2,3,5-tetrazolium chloride Tergitol medium. Escherichia coli were enumerated by the most probable number microplate method based on the detection of glucuronidase activity. FC and E. coli counts were highly correlated; an average E. coli/FC ratio equal to 0.77 was found, meaning that on average, 77% of FC were E. coli. Knowing the E. coli/FC ratio allows us to convert the historical microbiological quality data expressed in FC counts into E. coli abundance and thus to compare with present and future monitoring data that are (or will be) based on E. coli enumeration.
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