Occurrence, Sources and Virulence Potential of in Urban Municipal Stormwater Systems.

is an underappreciated emerging global pathogen, despite growing evidence that it is a major contributor of diarrheal illness. Few studies have investigated the occurrence and public health risks that this organism possesses from waterborne exposure routes including through stormwater use. In this study, we assessed the prevalence, virulence potential, and primary sources of stormwater-isolated in fecally contaminated urban stormwater systems. Based on qPCR, was the most common enteric bacterial pathogen [25%] found in stormwater among a panel of pathogens surveyed, including Shiga-toxin producing (STEC) [6%], spp. [4%], and spp. [<1%]. Concentrations of the bacteria, based on qPCR amplification of the single copy gene , were as high as 6.2 log copies/100 mL, suggesting significant loading of this pathogen in some stormwater systems. Importantly, out of 73 unique stormwater culture isolates, 90% were positive for the putative virulence genes , and , while 50-75% of isolates also possessed the virulence genes , , and . Occurrence of . was most often associated with the human fecal pollution marker HF183 in stormwater samples. These results suggest that may be an important bacterial pathogen in stormwater, warranting further study on the risks it represents to public health during stormwater use.