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water. These studies have revealed specific problems and indicate 

 the need to develop information concerning behavior of these indi- 

 cator bacteria in salt watdr. Examples of needed work include 

 improved procedures for specificity and recovery of MF fecal coli- 

 forms, determination of growth characteristics of fecal coliforms, 

 and establishment of whether the "after growth" phenomenon exists 

 in estuaries; establishment of in situ survival patterns of fecal 

 coliforms in various conditions of temperatures, salinity, and 

 nutrient levels; establishment of the relationship between fecal 

 coliforms and pathogens; and development of rapid detection systems 

 and continuous bacteria assay devices to monitor shellfish waters 

 and bathing beaches. 



Pathogenic Bacteria 



Recent studies have shown that Salmonella are more prevalent than 

 once believed to be. Salmonella have been isolated from polluted 

 estuarine waters on numerous occasions and have been isolated when 

 low numbers of fecal coliforms were present. The Salmonella data, 

 however, are qualitative and give no true indication of densities 

 initially present in the water. 



Because of the repeated demonstration of Salmonella in polluted 

 estuaries and shellfish harvested from such waters, such organisms 

 pose a serious potential human health hazard. Methodology for 

 detection, identification, and quantitation of Salmonella are 



