Viable but non-culturable forms of potentially pathogenic bacteria in water

Abstract

In an aquatic environment pathogenic bacteria which are capable of growth in warm-blooded hosts may be stressed by starvtion or by exposure to sub-optimal temperature, salinity or toxic chemicals. Microbial cells may enter a viable but non-growing state, as a result of such sub-lethal stresses and as a strategy for survival, in a dormant form until environmental conditions change. The isolation of micro-organisms by growth on selective media has been universally applied for the detection of viable micro-organisms in water. The reliability of culture methods is of particular importance in testing for the presence of pathogenic micro-organisms and microbial indicators of faecal polution and in monitoring the release and survival of genetically modified micro-organisms in water