| environmental occurrence of the enterococcal surface protein (esp) gene is an unreliable indicator of human fecal contamination. | the enterococcal surface protein (esp) gene found in enterococcus faecalis and e. faecium has recently been explored as a marker of sewage pollution in recreational waters but its occurrence and distribution in environmental enterococci has not been well-documented. if the esp gene is found in environmental samples, there are potential implications for microbial source tracking applications. in the current study, a total of 452 samples (lake water, 100; stream water, 129; nearshore sand, 96; and ... | 2008 | 19031895 |
| prevalence and antibiotic-resistance characteristics of enterococcus spp. isolated from free-living and captive raptors in central illinois. | due to their predatory nature, raptor species may serve as important indicators of environmental contamination with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. raptors prey on small rodents and birds that have diverse habitat ranges, including urban and rural environments, and their intestinal microflora can reflect that of the animals on which they feed. enterococcus spp. were selected as target organisms because they have been isolated from the avian gastrointestinal tract, can be conferred by prey item ... | 2009 | 19395740 |