Studies of Microbiological Contaminants in surface and ground water in
Pennsylvania
Helicobacter pylori
| Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a flagellated bacillus or coccoid-shaped
bacteria which causes gastrointestinal problems such as: gastritis,
peptic ulcers, and MALT-lymphoma. Over 50% of the world's population
is infected with H. pylori, making it the most common infection in
the world. No reservoir outside the human stomach has been identified.
A study of pathogens in non-community water supplies was a cooperative study by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Early in the study, it was decided that sampling for additional pathogens would be desirable. U.S. EPA provided additional funding for analysis of pathogens on the contaminant candidate list, including Helicobacter pylori.4 out of 59 wells tested positive for H. pylori. One of these wells had no other indicator organisms present. There is no maximum contaminant level (MCL) for Helicobacter pylori, however total coliform and E. coli apparently do not provide an adequate screening tool for this bacterium. Other projects have collected data for H. pylori in surface and
ground waters, as cooperative
research with Dr. Katharine Baker of the Pennsylvania State
University, Capital Campus, Environmental Microbiology Research
Lab. |
| CONTACTS: | |
|
|
PROJECTS: |
|
|
