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To determine the prevalence of Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli and Enterococci in waterways and from domestic pets in the Northeast U.S., particularly surrounding the Boston area. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and molecular characterization, including the determination of relatedness between isolates will be conducted. Results will be compared with those obtained from the Southeastern United States.
Water samples will be collected from a minimum of 3 rivers in and surrounding the Boston area, particularly those that may also bisect the TUFTS University Campus. Fecal samples will be collected from dogs and cats at local veterinary clinics who are seeking routine and/or clinical care. All samples will be shipped to Georgia for culture of Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli and Enterococci. Some prefiltration will be conducted on samples used for Campy culture prior to shipment. Bacterial isolates will be tested for susceptibility to antimicrobials, characterized to the general species level, and molecular techniques will be employed to determine genetic relatedness between isolates. These results will then be compared with those obtained in the Southeastern United States.