Persistence of<i>Escherichia coli</i>introduced into streambed sediments with goose, deer and bovine animal waste

Abstract

This is the first study on the survival of E. coli originating from wildlife faeces, in sediments, as opposed to bovine faeces or laboratory-cultured strains. As wildlife are likely to be the primary source of E. coli in most non agricultural watersheds, an understanding of the persistence of these strains is important to understanding microbial water quality.