TY - JOUR
T1 - Public health implications of Acanthamoeba and multiple potential opportunistic pathogens in roof-harvested rainwater tanks
AU - Hamilton, K. A.
AU - Ahmed, W.
AU - Palmer, A.
AU - Sidhu, J. P.S.
AU - Hodgers, L.
AU - Toze, S.
AU - Haas, C. N.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was undertaken and funded as part of a Fulbright-CSIRO Postgraduate Scholarship sponsored by the CSIRO Land and Water Flagship. We sincerely thank the residents of Brisbane and the Currumbin Ecovillage for providing access to their rainwater tanks and for their feedback on the survey. We also thank Ms. Kylie Smith for aiding in sample collection and Mr. Pradip Gyawali for providing assistance with the qPCR assays.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016
PY - 2016/10/1
Y1 - 2016/10/1
N2 - A study of six potential opportunistic pathogens (Acanthamoeba spp., Legionella spp., Legionella longbeachae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare) and an accidental human pathogen (Legionella pneumophila) in 134 roof-harvested rainwater (RHRW) tank samples was conducted using quantitative PCR (qPCR). All five opportunistic pathogens and accidental pathogen L. pneumophila were detected in rainwater tanks except Legionella longbeachae. Concentrations ranged up to 3.1×106 gene copies per L rainwater for Legionella spp., 9.6×105 gene copies per L for P. aeruginosa, 6.8×105 gene copies per L for M. intracellulare, 6.6×105 gene copies per L for Acanthamoeba spp., 1.1×105 gene copies per L for M. avium, and 9.8×103 gene copies per L for L. pneumophila. Among the organisms tested, Legionella spp. (99% tanks) were the most prevalent followed by M. intracellulare (78%). A survey of tank-owners provided data on rainwater end-uses. Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. were enumerated using culture-based methods, and assessed for correlations with opportunistic pathogens and L. pneumophila tested in this study. Opportunistic pathogens did not correlate well with FIB except E. coli vs. Legionella spp. (tau=0.151, P=0.009) and E. coli vs. M. intracellulare (tau=0.14, P=0.015). However, M. avium weakly correlated with both L. pneumophila (Kendall's tau=0.017, P=0.006) and M. intracellulare (tau=0.088, P=0.027), and Legionella spp. also weakly correlated with M. intracellulare (tau=0.128, P=0.028). The presence of these potential opportunistic pathogens in tank water may present health risks from both the potable and non-potable uses documented from the current survey data.
AB - A study of six potential opportunistic pathogens (Acanthamoeba spp., Legionella spp., Legionella longbeachae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare) and an accidental human pathogen (Legionella pneumophila) in 134 roof-harvested rainwater (RHRW) tank samples was conducted using quantitative PCR (qPCR). All five opportunistic pathogens and accidental pathogen L. pneumophila were detected in rainwater tanks except Legionella longbeachae. Concentrations ranged up to 3.1×106 gene copies per L rainwater for Legionella spp., 9.6×105 gene copies per L for P. aeruginosa, 6.8×105 gene copies per L for M. intracellulare, 6.6×105 gene copies per L for Acanthamoeba spp., 1.1×105 gene copies per L for M. avium, and 9.8×103 gene copies per L for L. pneumophila. Among the organisms tested, Legionella spp. (99% tanks) were the most prevalent followed by M. intracellulare (78%). A survey of tank-owners provided data on rainwater end-uses. Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. were enumerated using culture-based methods, and assessed for correlations with opportunistic pathogens and L. pneumophila tested in this study. Opportunistic pathogens did not correlate well with FIB except E. coli vs. Legionella spp. (tau=0.151, P=0.009) and E. coli vs. M. intracellulare (tau=0.14, P=0.015). However, M. avium weakly correlated with both L. pneumophila (Kendall's tau=0.017, P=0.006) and M. intracellulare (tau=0.088, P=0.027), and Legionella spp. also weakly correlated with M. intracellulare (tau=0.128, P=0.028). The presence of these potential opportunistic pathogens in tank water may present health risks from both the potable and non-potable uses documented from the current survey data.
KW - Fecal indicator bacteria
KW - Health risks
KW - Opportunistic pathogens
KW - Quantitative PCR
KW - Rainwater survey
KW - Roof-harvested rainwater
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U2 - 10.1016/j.envres.2016.06.017
DO - 10.1016/j.envres.2016.06.017
M3 - Article
C2 - 27336236
AN - SCOPUS:84976413617
SN - 0013-9351
VL - 150
SP - 320
EP - 327
JO - Environmental Research
JF - Environmental Research
ER -