Wide diversity of fungal species found in wellwater for human consumption: an analytical cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Fungi are ubiquitous in the environment. They are able to grow in water and many of them may be opportunistic pathogens. OBJECTIVE: The aims were to identify fungi in registered wells (RWs) and nonregistered wells (NRWs) that tap into groundwater; and to correlate the results from physicochemical assays on this water (free residual chlorine and pH) with the presence of fungi. DATA AND SETTING: Analytical cross-sectional quantitative study on groundwater wells in São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: 52 samples of 500 ml of water were collected from RWs and 107 from NRWs. These were sent to a microbiology laboratory to identify any fungi that were present. In addition, free residual chlorine and pH were measured immediately after sample collection. Several statistical analysis tests were used. RESULTS: Fungal contamination was present in 78.8% of the samples from RWs and 81.3% from NRWs. Filamentous fungi were more prevalent than yeast in both types of wells. There was no significant difference in presence of fungi according to whether chloride and pH were within recommended levels in RWs; or according to whether pH was within recommended levels in NRWs. Furthermore, there was no statistical difference in the levels of fungal contamination between RWs and NRWs. CONCLUSION: Both RWs and NRWs are potential reservoirs for many types of fungi. Many of these may become opportunistic pathogens if they infect immunosuppressed individuals. Furthermore, this study confirms that fungi are able to grow even when chlorine and pH parameters are within the standards recommended.

Diversidad de especies de micobacterias no tuberculosas aisladas en ambientes acuáticos de la ciudad de General Pico, La Pampa, Argentina / Species diversity of non-tuberculous mycobacteria isolated from aquatic environments of General Pico city, Province of La Pampa (Argentina)

Las micobacterias no tuberculosas (MNT) no solo se estudian por su importancia como patógenos oportunistas, sino también por sus aplicaciones en biotecnología y biorremediación. Nuestro objetivo fue determinar la presencia de micobacterias en los distintos hábitats acuáticos de la ciudad de General Pico (provincia de La Pampa), así como su diversidad. Los porcentajes de muestras positivas a micobacterias fueron los siguientes: 37,5% en el sistema de distribución de agua de red, 32,6% en el acuífero que abastece dicho sistema, 36,8% en el agua proveniente de las precipitaciones, 53,1% en los humedales del área de influencia, 80% en los natatorios cubiertos y 33,3% en las fuentes decorativas ubicadas en plazas públicas. De los 90 aislamientos de MNT obtenidos el 8,9% no logró ser identificado a nivel de especie con los métodos utilizados, que incluyeron pruebas fenotípicas y métodos moleculares. Las especies más frecuentemente aisladas fueron Mycobacterium fortuitum y Mycobacterium gordonae. Algunas especies identificadas han sido reportadas en casos de micobacteriosis en nuestro país, entre ellas M. fortuitum, M. gordonae, M. intracellulare, M. vaccae, M. lentiflavum y M. nonchromogenicum. No se aislaron MNT en muestras de agua de red con concentraciones de cloro activo residual mayores de 0,8mg/l, mientras que en los natatorios la presencia de hasta 1,5mg/l de cloro activo residual no fue una limitante para la proliferación de estos microorganismos. Se puede considerar que la incidencia de micobacterias en los ambientes acuáticos de General Pico es cercana al 35%, y que la presencia de estos microorganismos y su diversidad se ve afectada por el contacto con el hombre y sus actividades, como así también por la existencia de vida animal.

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are studied not only for their importance as emerging opportunistic pathogens but also for their applications in biotechnology and bioremediation. Our aim was to determine the occurrence and diversity of mycobacteria in different aquatic habitats of General Pico city, Province of La Pampa. The percentage of samples with positive cultures for mycobacteria were the following: 37.5% recovered from the water supply distribution system; 32.6% from the aquifer that supplies water to the distribution system; 36.8% from rain water; 53.1% from the two wetlands in the area of influence; 80% from indoor swimming pools; and 33.3% from water fountains in downtown public squares. Of the 90 NTM isolates, 8.9% could not be identified at the species level with any of the used methods, phenotypic tests and molecular methods. Mycobacterium fortuitum and Mycobacterium gordonae were the most frequently isolated species. Some of the identified species such as, M. fortuitum, M. gordonae, M. intracellulare, M. vaccae, M. lentiflavum and M. nonchromogenicum, have been reported in cases of mycobacteriosis in Argentina. Mycobacteria with values higher than 0.8mg/ml of residual active chlorine were not recovered from the drinking water supply network, whereas in the swimming pools the presence of up to 1.5 mg/l was not a constraint. Based on our results, the presence of mycobacteria in aquatic environments is close to 35% and their occurrence and diversity is affected both by contact with man and his activities as well as by the existence of animal life.

The hyporheic zone and its functions: revision and research status in Neotropical regions / A zona hiporréica e as suas funções: revisão e estado da arte da pesquisa na região neotropical

AbstractThe hyporheic zone (HZ), as the connecting ecotone between surface- and groundwater, is functionally part of both fluvial and groundwater ecosystems. Its hydrological, chemical, biological and metabolic features are specific of this zone, not belonging truly neither to surface- nor to groundwater. Exchanges of water, nutrients, and organic matter occur in response to variations in discharge and bed topography and porosity. Dynamic gradients exist at all scales and vary temporally. Across all scales, the functional significance of the HZ relates to its activity and connection with the surface stream. The HZ is a relatively rich environment and almost all invertebrate groups have colonized this habitat. This fauna, so-called hyporheos, is composed of species typical from interstitial environment, and also of benthic epigean and phreatic species. The hyporheic microbiocenose consists in bacteria, archaea, protozoa and fungi. The HZ provides several ecosystem services, playing a pivotal role in mediating exchange processes, including both matter and energy, between surface and subterranean ecosystems, functioning as regulator of water flow, benthic invertebrates refuge and place of storage, source and transformation of organic matter. The hyporheic zone is one of the most threatened aquatic environments, being strongly influenced by human activities, and the least protected by legislation worldwide. Its maintenance and conservation is compelling in order to preserve the ecological interconnectivity among the three spatial dimensions of the aquatic environment. Although several researchers addressed the importance of the hyporheic zone early, and most contemporary stream ecosystem models explicitly include it, very little is known about the HZ of Neotropical regions. From a biological standpoint, hyporheos fauna in Neotropical regions are still largely underestimated. This review focuses on a brief presentation of the hyporheic zone and its functions and significance as an ecotone. We also highlighted the key aspects considering also the current status of research in Neotropical regions.

ResumoA zona hiporréica, como ecótono de ligação entre a superfície e as águas subterrâneas, é parte funcional seja dos ecossistemas fluviais seja das águas subterrâneas. As características hidrológicas, as características químicas, biológicas e metabólicas são específicas desta zona, não pertencendo verdadeiramente nem a superfície nem às águas subterrâneas. Trocas de água, nutrientes e matéria orgânica ocorrem em resposta a variações na descarga, topografia do álveo e porosidade. Gradientes dinâmicos existem em todas as escalas e variam temporalmente. Em todas as escalas, o significado funcional da zona hyporheic relaciona-se com a sua conexão e atividades com a água superficial. O HZ é um ambiente relativamente rico e quase todos os grupos de invertebrados colonizaram este habitat. Esta fauna, chamada hyporheos, é composta por espécies típicas do ambiente intersticial, e também de espécies bentônicas epígeas e freáticas. A microbiocenose consiste em bactérias, arqueobactérias, fungos e protozoários. O HZ fornece vários serviços para o ecossistema, desempenhando um papel fundamental na mediação de processos de troca, incluindo seja a matéria, seja a energia, entre os ecossistemas superfíciais e os subterrâneos, funcionando como regulador do fluxo de água, de refúgio para invertebrados bentônicos e local de armazenagem, fonte e transformação de matéria orgânica. A zona hyporheic é um dos ambientes aquáticos mais ameaçados, sendo fortemente influenciado pelas atividades humanas, e um dos menos protegidos pela legislação em todo o mundo. A sua manutenção e conservação é necessaria para preservar a interconectividade ecológica entre as três dimensões espaciais do ambiente aquático. Apesar de vários pesquisadores aborem a importância da zona hyporheic a tempo, e a maioria dos modelos de ecossistemas atualmente incluí-lo de forma explicita, muito pouco se sabe sobre o HZ das regiões neotropicais. Do ponto de vista biológico, a fauna hiporréica das regiões neotropicais é ainda largamente subestimada. Esta revisão visa apresentar de forma resumida a zona hiporréica, suas funções e importância como ecótono. Também visa destacar os aspectos principais considerando também o estado actual da investigação em regiões neotropicais.

Detección de genes de virulencia del patotipo enteroagregativo en cepas de Escherichia coli aisladas de fuentes de agua subterránea de la provincia del Chaco, Argentina / Detection of virulence genes of the enteroaggregative pathotype in Escherichia coli strains isolated from groundwater sources in the province of Chaco, Argentina

En la provincia del Chaco, el agua subterránea representa una fuente alternativa, y muchas veces única, para el consumo humano; esta es utilizada en el 14 % de los hogares. A pesar de que se reconoce el riesgo de la exposición al agua contaminada, la prevalencia de los diferentes patotipos de Escherichia coli en ambientes acuáticos no ha sido bien caracterizada. E. coli enteroagregativo (ECEA) es un patógeno emergente cuya importancia en la salud pública mundial se incrementó y quedó claramente establecida en los últimos años. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue detectar la presencia de ECEA típico mediante el reconocimiento de los factores de virulencia aap, AA probe y aggR por reacción en cadena de la polimerasa, en fuentes de agua subterráneas de la provincia del Chaco. Se identificó E. coli en 36 (38,7 %) de las 93 muestras estudiadas, provenientes de diferentes localidades. De esos 36 aislamientos, se identificaron 6 (16,7 %) portadores de los genes de ECEA, lo que representa una prevalencia del 6,4 % considerando las 93 fuentes de agua subterránea estudiadas. De esos 6 aislamientos, 3 eran portadores del gen aap, 2 del gen AA probe y uno de la combinación aggR/aap. El presente trabajo representa el primer aporte en el estudio de la presencia y distribución de genes de virulencia de ECEA en fuentes de agua subterránea de la región.

Groundwater is an important source of drinking water for many communities in Northern Argentina; particularly, in the province of Chaco, where about 14 % of households use this natural resource. Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli is an emerging pathogen whose global importance in public health has increased in recent years. Despite the significant risk of disease linked to contaminated water exposure, the prevalence of E. coli pathotypes in aquatic environments is still not so well defined. The aim of the present study was to detect the presence of typical enteroaggregative E. coli through the recognition of its virulence factors aap, AA probe and aggR by molecular techniques. A total of 93 water samples from different small communities of Chaco were analyzed. E. coli was identified in 36 (38.7 %) of the tested samples. Six strains isolated from different samples harbored the studied genes. Of these 6 isolates, 3 carried the aap gene, 2 the AA probe and the last one the combination of aap/aggR genes. The prevalence of E. coli isolates harboring enteroaggregative virulence genes in groundwater sources was 6.4 %. This work represents the first contribution to the study of the presence and distribution of virulence genes of EAEC in groundwater sources in this region of Argentina.