Bacterial Contamination and Antibiotic Resistance in Fecal Coliforms from Glacial Water Runoff

摘要

Glaciers and icecaps constitute about 1.76% of global water resources (WQMD and ILEC, 1995) and contribute to most of the riverine system. Gangotri, in western Himalaya, is the largest valley-type glacier of the Indian continent. Every year, thousandsof pilgrims, tourists, students, and explorers visit Gaumukh, Gangotri and Gangetic rivers. Microbial contamination in such an ecologically sensitive stream, with fecal waste from man and animals, is a great risk to public health (Scott et al., 2003). Coliforms, fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci are established ecological indicators of fecal contamination in water, and are used for determination of water suitability for human use (Okawasili and Akujobi, 1996). Among these, Escherichia coli, a fecal coliform, occurs most commonly in fecal waste of homeotherms, including man, and has been found to be the best biological indicator of fecal contamination in drinking water (Edberg et al., 2000).