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The occurrence of coliform bacteria in the cave waters of Slovak Karst, Slovakia

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Abstract

The diversity and abundance of coliform bacteria (taxonomically enterobacterias), an important quality water indicator, were determined for four representative caves in Slovak Karst: Domica Cave, Gombasecká Cave, Milada Cave and Krásnohorská Cave. Three hundred and fifty-two enterobacterial isolates were successfully identified by biochemical testing (commercial ENTEROtest 24) and selected isolates confirmed by molecular techniques (PCR, 16S rDNA sequence analysis). A total of 39 enterobacterial species were isolated from cave waters, with predominance of Escherichia coli, Serratia spp. and Enterobacter spp. PCR amplification of lacZ gene is not specific enough to provide a reliable detection of coliform bacteria isolated from the environment. Sequence analysis of 16S rDNA confirmed that all of the selected isolates belong to the family Enterobacteriaceae. In general, physical and chemical parameters of cave waters in Slovak Karst corresponded to national drinking water quality standards.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the grants of VEGA 2/0087/12 and VEGA 1/0899/12 from the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic. The authors thank the Slovak Caves Administration in Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovak Republic, for the opportunity of sampling the Domica Cave and BITCET (Biotechnological Center, Bratislava, Slovak Republic) for their sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA genes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina, 842 15, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

    Milan Seman & Barbora Gaálová

  2. Water Research Institute, Nábrežie arm. gen. L. Svobodu 5, 812 49, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

    Marianna Cíchová & Miloslava Prokšová

  3. Conservancy of the Slovak Republic—Slovak Caves Administration, Hodžova 11, 031 01, Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovak Republic

    Dagmar Haviarová

  4. Department of Hydrogeology, Faculty of Natural Science, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina, 842 15, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

    Renáta Fľaková

Authors
  1. Milan Seman
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  2. Barbora Gaálová
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  3. Marianna Cíchová
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  4. Miloslava Prokšová
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  5. Dagmar Haviarová
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  6. Renáta Fľaková
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Correspondence to Milan Seman.

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Seman, M., Gaálová, B., Cíchová, M. et al. The occurrence of coliform bacteria in the cave waters of Slovak Karst, Slovakia. Folia Microbiol 60, 269–278 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-014-0362-y

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