Recovery and Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Reconditioned Pork-Processing Wastewater†

Abstract

The pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 has been recovered from various water sources and food samples. The growth potential of this bacterium in nutrient-limited, reconditioned wastewater from a pork-processing plant was determined over a temperature range of 4 to 46°C. Even though the biological oxygen demand of the wastewater was <2 mg/liter, results of bioassays for assimilable organic carbon and the coliform growth response of the water suggested that sufficient nutrients were present to support limited bacterial growth. A three-strain mixture of E. coli O157:H7 grew over the temperature range of 10.2 to 29.4°C. Bioassays appear to be a good indicator of the ability of this wastewater to support growth of this pathogen. Statistically higher levels of bacterial growth (P < 0.05) were detected on a nonselective medium (tryptic soy agar) than on a selective medium (sorbitol–MacConkey agar), suggesting that stress or injury of the bacterium occurs when the organism is exposed to the nutrient-limited conditions of the wastewater. These results indicate that E. coli O157:H7 can survive and grow in this particular nutrient-limited wastewater, suggesting a potential hazard if this water becomes contaminated with this pathogen.