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Public health implications of Acanthamoeba and multiple potential opportunistic pathogens in roof-harvested rainwater

K A Hamilton1, W Ahmed2, A Palmer2

  • 1CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Qld 4102, Australia; Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.

Environmental Research
|June 24, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Roof-harvested rainwater tanks commonly contain opportunistic pathogens like Legionella spp. and Mycobacterium intracellulare, posing potential health risks despite weak correlations with fecal indicator bacteria.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental microbiology
  • Public health
  • Water quality assessment

Background:

  • Roof-harvested rainwater (RHRW) is a common water source globally.
  • Potential health risks associated with RHRW are not fully understood.
  • Opportunistic pathogens may contaminate RHRW systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To detect and quantify opportunistic pathogens in RHRW tanks.
  • To assess the prevalence of specific pathogens including Acanthamoeba spp., Legionella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium avium, and Mycobacterium intracellulare.
  • To investigate correlations between detected pathogens and fecal indicator bacteria (FIB).

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to detect and quantify pathogens in 134 RHRW tank samples.
  • Culture-based methods were employed to enumerate Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. as FIB.
  • A survey of tank owners provided data on end-uses of RHRW.

Main Results:

  • Legionella spp. (99%) and Mycobacterium intracellulare (78%) were the most prevalent opportunistic pathogens detected.
  • Acanthamoeba spp., Legionella spp., P. aeruginosa, M. avium, and M. intracellulare were detected, along with the accidental pathogen Legionella pneumophila.
  • Weak correlations were observed between some opportunistic pathogens and FIB, notably E. coli with Legionella spp. and M. intracellulare.

Conclusions:

  • RHRW tanks harbor a range of opportunistic pathogens, with Legionella spp. and M. intracellulare being highly prevalent.
  • The presence of these pathogens, including Legionella pneumophila, indicates potential health risks for both potable and non-potable RHRW uses.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the risks and develop mitigation strategies for RHRW systems.
Keywords:
Fecal indicator bacteriaHealth risksOpportunistic pathogensQuantitative PCRRainwater surveyRoof-harvested rainwater

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