Recovery of bacterial pathogens from high quality surface water

An investigation of the presence of enteric disease producing bacteria in a high quality mountain stream in Colorado yielded 11 isolants of members of the genus Salmonella and 51 isolants of organisms belonging to the Arizona group. An improved method for the recovery of these organisms from high quality water was developed and used successfully in the study. The presence of these potentially pathogenic bacteria, which appeared to be the result of contamination by wild or domestic animals, may be a potential hazard to public health.