Escherichia coli testing is frequently used to indicate the possible presence of harmful pathogens, but E. coli itself can be pathogenic. Serotype 0157:H7, enterohemorrhagic E. coli, is likely the most medically important pathogenic strain of E. coli in the United States. In this study, we surveyed for 0157:H7 and three strains of another pathogenic subtype: enterotoxigenic E. coli. We isolated E. coli colonies from samples taken from the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia at two different locations, above and below wastewater outputs. We used PCR to test for the individual subtypes and then used a nested PCR protocol for the human, bovine, and avian ETEC. Our results show that most isolated E. coli strains are not 0157:H7 or ETEC. However, nested PCR specific for human enterotoxigenic E. coli amplified target sequences in some tested colonies, which may indicate humans as a source of E. coli at our sample sites.
","abstract_html":"<p><em>Escherichia coli</em> testing is frequently used to indicate the possible presence of harmful pathogens, but <em>E. coli</em> itself can be pathogenic. Serotype 0157:H7, enterohemorrhagic <em>E. coli</em>, is likely the most medically important pathogenic strain of E. coli in the United States. In this study, we surveyed for 0157:H7 and three strains of another pathogenic subtype: enterotoxigenic <em>E. coli</em>. We isolated <em>E. coli</em> colonies from samples taken from the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia at two different locations, above and below wastewater outputs. We used PCR to test for the individual subtypes and then used a nested PCR protocol for the human, bovine, and avian ETEC. Our results show that most isolated <em>E. coli</em> strains are not 0157:H7 or ETEC. However, nested PCR specific for human enterotoxigenic <em>E. coli</em> amplified target sequences in some tested colonies, which may indicate humans as a source of <em>E. coli</em> at our sample sites.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Staples, Micah A"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Biology","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Lauren King","Dr. John Davis","Dr. Cindy Ticknor"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:44:55Z","subjects":["Escherichia Coli","E. Coli","Serotype O157:H7","Columbus Georgia","Chattahoochee River","Bacteriology","Biology","Pathogenic Microbiology"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/248","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Lauren King","Dr. John Davis","Dr. Cindy Ticknor"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Staples, Micah A"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-07-25T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Biology"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Escherichia Coli","E. Coli","Serotype O157:H7","Columbus Georgia","Chattahoochee River","Bacteriology","Biology","Pathogenic Microbiology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/248"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Escherichia coli testing is frequently used to indicate the possible presence of harmful pathogens, but E. coli itself can be pathogenic. Serotype 0157:H7, enterohemorrhagic E. coli, is likely the most medically important pathogenic strain of E. coli in the United States. In this study, we surveyed for 0157:H7 and three strains of another pathogenic subtype: enterotoxigenic E. coli. We isolated E. coli colonies from samples taken from the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia at two different locations, above and below wastewater outputs. We used PCR to test for the individual subtypes and then used a nested PCR protocol for the human, bovine, and avian ETEC. Our results show that most isolated E. coli strains are not 0157:H7 or ETEC. However, nested PCR specific for human enterotoxigenic E. coli amplified target sequences in some tested colonies, which may indicate humans as a source of E. coli at our sample sites.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Screening for Pathogenic Escherichia Coli in the Chattahoochee River, Columbus, Georgia"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Lauren King","Dr. John Davis","Dr. Cindy Ticknor"],"dc:creator":["Staples, Micah A"],"dc:date.available":["2017-07-25T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Escherichia coli testing is frequently used to indicate the possible presence of harmful pathogens, but E. coli itself can be pathogenic. Serotype 0157:H7, enterohemorrhagic E. coli, is likely the most medically important pathogenic strain of E. coli in the United States. In this study, we surveyed for 0157:H7 and three strains of another pathogenic subtype: enterotoxigenic E. coli. We isolated E. coli colonies from samples taken from the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia at two different locations, above and below wastewater outputs. We used PCR to test for the individual subtypes and then used a nested PCR protocol for the human, bovine, and avian ETEC. Our results show that most isolated E. coli strains are not 0157:H7 or ETEC. However, nested PCR specific for human enterotoxigenic E. coli amplified target sequences in some tested colonies, which may indicate humans as a source of E. coli at our sample sites.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/248"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:subject":["Escherichia Coli","E. Coli","Serotype O157:H7","Columbus Georgia","Chattahoochee River","Bacteriology","Biology","Pathogenic Microbiology"],"dc:title":["Screening for Pathogenic Escherichia Coli in the Chattahoochee River, Columbus, Georgia"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Biology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:44:55Z"}