An analysis of culture-based methods used for the detection and isolation of Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus spp. from surface water: a systematic review

Authors: MCCONN, BETTY - Orise Fellow; KRAFT, AUTUMN - Orise Fellow; Durso, Lisa; Ibekwe, Abasiofiok - Mark; Frye, Jonathan; Wells, James - Jim; Tobey, Elizabeth; Ritchie, Stephanie; Williams, Clinton; Cook, Kimberly - Kim; Sharma, Manan

Submitted to: Science of the Total Environment
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2024
Publication Date: 4/3/2024
Citation: McConn, B.R., Kraft, A.L., Durso, L.M., Ibekwe, A.M., Frye, J.G., Wells, J., Tobey, E.M., Ritchie, S.M., Williams, C.F., Cook, K.L., Sharma, M. 2024. An analysis of culture-based methods used for the detection and isolation of Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus spp. from surface water: a systematic review. Science of the Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172190.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172190

Interpretive Summary: The detection of bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in environmental water can inform the status of public health. A One Health approach, a collaborative effort among human, veterinary and environmental health communities, could improve the understanding of environmental water sources and monitoring of specific microorganisms. Standardized microbial methods across One Health communities can improve the recovery and detection of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance to help understand the dissemination of AMR in the environment. This systematic literature review examined over 690 papers, and selected 175 papers that used methods for the recovery of an important pathogen (Salmonella) and fecal indicator organisms (Escherichia coli, Enterococcus). The objective of this review was to determine which recovery methods and strategies have been most commonly used in previous research studies, and if they can be used or in establishing a standard method of recovery for bacterial pathogens and AMR from water sources. The number of water sources and the countries where most of these studies took place were also identified. Overall, this work aids USDA One Health efforts and farmers by collecting information on current methods of recovery of important microorganisms in environmental waters.

Technical Abstract: Identification of methods for the standardized assessment of bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in environmental water can improve the quality of monitoring and data collected, support global surveillance efforts, and enhance the understanding of environmental water sources. We conducted a systematic review to assemble and synthesize available literature that identified methods for assessment of prevalence and abundance of bacterial fecal indicators and pathogens in water for the purposes of monitoring bacterial pathogens and AMR. After screening for quality, 175 unique publications were identified from 15 databases, and data were extracted for analysis. This review identifies the most common and robust methods, and media used to isolate target organisms from surface water sources, summarizes methodological trends, and recognizes knowledge gaps. The information presented in this review will be useful when establishing standardized methods for monitoring bacterial pathogens and AMR in water in the United States and globally.