Escherichia coli: Indicator Bacterium, Water Contamination and Public Health

UPSC Relevance: Environment | Health | Microbiology

Scientific Name

Escherichia coli or E. coli

Characteristics

  • Gram-negative bacterium.

  • Normally found in intestines of humans and many warm-blooded animals.

  • Most strains are harmless.

  • Certain strains can cause serious illness.

Why Important in Water Quality?

Detection of E. coli is widely used as an indicator of faecal contamination.

Diseases

Pathogenic strains may cause:

  • Diarrhoea.

  • Haemorrhagic colitis.

  • Urinary tract infections.

  • Sepsis.

Prelims Pointer

Presence of E. coli in drinking water suggests possible faecal contamination, not necessarily that all detected E. coli are equally pathogenic.