Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Cost-effective Method for Microbial Source Tracking Using Specific Human and Animal Viruses
Published on: December 3, 2011
Assessment and application of host-specific Bacteroidales genetic markers for microbial source tracking of river
1Interdisciplinary Center for River Basin Environment, Graduate Faculty of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan.
Abstract:
Microbial source tracking using host-specific microbial genetic markers is considered a promising approach to determine fecal contamination sources of aquatic environments. This study aimed to assess the application of previously developed host-specific Bacteroidales quantitative PCR assays to microbial source tracking of river water samples in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Various types of fecal-source samples, such as raw sewage, secondary-treated sewage of a wastewater treatment plant, and cattle feces, were used for three human-, two ruminant- and two pig-specific Bacteroidales quantitative PCR assays. Our results demonstrated that BacHum, BacR and Pig2Bac assays as suitable human-, ruminant- and pig-specific assays, with an accuracy of 86%, 94% and 77%, respectively. These selected assays were used for microbial source tracking of 63 river water samples collected at nine sites in two river basins. From these sites, there were 48 (76%), 34 (54%) and 9 (14%) positive samples using the BacHum, BacR and Pig2Bac assays, respectively. These assays revealed the effects of humans and animals on fecal contamination of river water.
Related Concept Videos
Genetics of Speciation
Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms
Animal Mitochondrial Genetics
The Water Cycle
What is Population Genetics?
States of Water
Water freezes when the intermolecular forces are greater than the kinetic energy. Unlike most other substances, water is less dense in its solid state than in its liquid state. This is because each water molecule can form...

