Smith Cody J, Olszewski Adam M, Mauro Steven A
Department of Biology, Mercyhurst College, 501 East 38th Street, Erie, Pennsylvania 16546, USA.
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2009 Jan;75(2):316-21. doi: 10.1128/AEM.01205-08. Epub 2008 Nov 14.
Shiga toxin (Stx) genes produce proteins that are pathogenic to humans, leading to severe gastrointestinal illness. This work focuses on examining the abundance and distribution of stx genes in relation to common microbial indicators in beach water and streams in the vicinity of Presque Isle State Park in Erie, PA. By use of quantitative PCR, the relative abundance levels of stx DNA in over 700 samples in the sampling area were determined. The results demonstrate that the abundance and distribution of stx genes are variable and do not correlate with the abundance of Escherichia coli bacteria, enterococci, or viral particles. These results suggest that microbial indicators of water quality are not adequate in predicting the occurrence of organisms that harbor stx genes and highlight the need for standardized pathogen-specific detection protocols for waters utilized for recreational swimming.
志贺毒素（Stx）基因产生的蛋白质对人类具有致病性，可导致严重的胃肠道疾病。这项工作重点研究了宾夕法尼亚州伊利市普雷斯克艾尔州立公园附近海滩水和溪流中stx基因的丰度和分布与常见微生物指标的关系。通过定量PCR，测定了采样区域内700多个样本中stx DNA的相对丰度水平。结果表明，stx基因的丰度和分布是可变的，与大肠杆菌、肠球菌或病毒颗粒的丰度无关。这些结果表明，水质微生物指标不足以预测携带stx基因的生物体的出现，并强调了为用于休闲游泳的水域制定标准化病原体特异性检测方案的必要性。
