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News@WSLH
Your Source For News & Events From Wisconsin's Public Health and Environmental Laboratory
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Webcast: Microbial Source Tracking
MADISON – Bacterial, viral and protozoan contamination of water can have a profound impact on human health. Just ask anyone who drank Milwaukee’s water in 1993 during the Cryptosporidium outbreak. Over the last 10 years, scientific tools have advanced to the point where not only are we detecting pathogens that cause health effects, we are using indicator bacteria and viruses to determine the origin of fecal contamination. These Microbial Source Tracking (MST) methods can determine if fecal contamination of a sample came from humans (i.e. faulty septic system leaking) or animals (i.e. farm manure run-off or maybe some wild geese stopping by for a visit). This type of information can save money in the long run by appropriately targeting clean-up or remediation actions. The MST “toolbox” is strengthened by using multiple targets.
WSLH Advanced Microbiologist Jeremy Olstadt and UW Research Assistant Jamie Stietz discuss the rapidly-evolving area of Microbial Source Tracking and how it’s helping us know what’s in the water.
This session was held in April 2009 for WSLH staff.
Watch the web cast here: Webcast (Windows Media, 225 kbps)
Posted By: Toby Kaufmann-Buhler, Media Specialist
Date: May 19, 2009
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