RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SALMONELLA SPP AND INDICATOR MICROORGANISMS IN POLLUTED NATURAL-WATERS

The relationships between Salmonella spp and indicator microorganisms (total coliforms, faecal coliforms, faecal streptococci, Clostridium perfringens and coliphages) were investigated in three different aquatic environments affected by wastewater discharges. The results indicated that the statistical correlations obtained depended, basically, on the source of faecal discharges. The microorganisms most closely correlated with Salmonella spp were faecal coliforms and C. perfringens, the latter also yielding the highest linear regression slope values. The detection percentages of Salmonella spp were high even at a low degree of pollution, which allowed detection of the pathogens in the absence of classical indicator microorganisms in the sample. © 1990.