PRESENCE OF SEVERAL PATHOGENIC BACTERIA IN THE METAURO AND FOGLIA RIVERS (PESARO-URBINO, ITALY) A. PIANETTI 1 *, W. BAFFONE 1 , F. BRUSCOLINI 1 , E. BARBIERI 1 , M. R. BIFFI 3 , L. SALVAGGIO 2 and A. ALBANO 3 1 Institute of Toxicologic, Hygienic and Environmental Sciences, University of Urbino, Urbino, Italy, 2 Institute of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy and 3 Institute of Virology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy (First received March 1996; accepted in revised form August 1997) AbstractÐThe presence of bacteria of the genera Salmonella, Campylobacter, Aeromonas and Yersinia in the Metauro and Foglia Rivers and the possible relationships with faecal indicators were studied. Monthly sampling was carried out and a total of 168 samples was obtained. Thirty-eight (22.6%) samples were positive for Salmonella spp., 52 (30.9%) for Campylobacter spp., 39 (23.2%) for Aeromo- nas spp. and 8 (4.7%) for Yersinia spp. No correlation was found between the microorganisms of the dierent bacterial genera and the indicators of faecal contamination. # 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved Key wordsÐAeromonas, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Yersinia, surface waters INTRODUCTION Surface waters may play an important role in the transmission of pathogenic agents discharged through faeces. These agents arrive in these waters via domestic wastewater and can return to humans by various routes, such as the use of these waters for recreation or sports (swimming or ®shing), for the irrigation of fruit and vegetables and as drink- ing water. Therefore, the pollution of rivers, for which the indiscriminate increase in pollution fac- tors has made natural puri®cation capacities insu- cient, takes on a particular importance. In Italy, the current legislation regarding surface and drinking waters (D.P.R. n.515 3.7.1982; D.M. 15.2.1983) provides standards of microbiological water quality control, including monitoring of the indicators of faecal pollution (total and faecal coli- forms, faecal streptococci) and of Salmonella spp. Thus, this legislation and that regarding the quality of water for human use (D.P.R. n.236 24.5.1988), seems to overlook the role of water as a source of other emerging pathogenic microorganisms such as Campylobacter, Aeromonas and Yersinia genera. Campylobacter spp. have in fact been frequently isolated from surface waters (Bucci and Maini, 1988; Knill et al., 1982) and their presence could be related to faecal contamination from both domestic or wild animals (Baone et al., 1988; Rosef et al., 1983; Svedhem and Koijser, 1981) and from sewage (Bucci and Maini, 1988). Aeromonas spp. are ubiquitous in aquatic ecosys- tems and are found in a wide range of water types, including oligotrophic, sewage and drinking water in which they are able to grow and develop (Monteil, 1991). Their role in gastroenteritis, bacter- iaemia and wound infections is well documented (Janda, 1991; Namadari and Bottone, 1990); thus, water is suspected to be an important source of these infections (Burke et al., 1984; Moyer, 1987). With regard to Yersinia spp., although the species isolated from the environment are usually not pathogenic, yersiniosis outbreaks of presumptive or con®rmed water origin have been reported (Gilmour and Walker, 1988). It therefore seemed of particular interest to undertake a study to evaluate the presence of the genera Salmonella, Campylobacter, Aeromonas and Yersinia in the Metauro and Foglia Rivers and to assess the possible relationships with some faecal in- dicators, given the fact that in the river valleys of the Pesaro-Urbino Province, these waters are used both for irrigation and as a source for local water- works. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Metauro and Foglia Rivers run through small urban areas and areas which are mostly used for agricul- ture/animal breeding. The principal pollution sources for Wat. Res. Vol. 32, No. 5, pp. 1515±1521, 1998 # 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved Printed in Great Britain 0043-1354/98 $19.00 + 0.00 PII: S0043-1354(97)00340-0 *Author to whom all correspondence should be addressed at: Institute of Toxicological, Hygienic and Environmental Sciences, via S. Chiara, 27, University of Urbino, 61029 Urbino (PS), Italy. Tel/Fax: 722/ 4717. 1515