[Quantitative and qualitative studies of Campylobacter in the sewage of a large city]

In a one-year-study wastewater from the sewage system of a big town was examined for the occurrence and distribution of campylobacter spp. The sewage consisted mainly of domestic and industrial wastewater, but also to a small degree of agricultural wastewater and abattoir effluent. Preston broth and agar were used as culture media. The number of campylobacter was determined parallel at 37 degrees C and 42 degrees C by the MPN-method. Three colonies of each agar plate were isolated and biotyped. The number of fecal and total coliforms, pH-value and water temperature were determined as auxiliary parameters. In addition to that meteorological data and data concerning the amount of wastewater flow were available. With exception of the abattoir effluent, which showed higher campylobacter counts, the number of campylobacter in the sewage system generally lay between 10(2) and 10(4) cfu/100 ml. Seasonal variations and influences by the auxiliary parameters could not be ascertained. The biotyping of 2391 campylobacter strains showed a prevalence of Campylobacter coli over Campylobacter jejuni. Campylobacter laridis, fetus and Cephalothin-susceptible Campylobacter coli could be isolated only occasionally. About 20% of the isolated campylobacters were coccoid and not biotypable.