Coliform & Escherichia coli screening kit

Description

Screen for coliforms with the pack of 25 tests for qualitative presence/absence test. Should coliforms detect as positive, test again with the total coliform and E. coli indicator bacteria test kit (5 tests).

This combination of 2 kits enables cost effective coliform screening. When a positive coliform presence test occurs, further verification and detection of E. coli is made with one of the 5 supplied total coliform and E. coli tests.

The 5 test Escherichia coli kit 4-3616-UV

No incubation equipment is required, and results are available in 44 to 48 hours at room temperature (24 hours if warm). The kit includes five glass tubes, each containing one test tablet. Coliform bacteria activity is indicated by a color change and the formation of gas bubbles in the gel substance within the tube. The sample will have a fluorescent blue glow when exposed to UV light if E. coli is present (UV penlight included). A sterile water sampling bag with a dechlorinating tablet is also included for chlorine removal.

Additional information

Escherichia coli (abbreviated as E. coli) are bacteria found in the environment, foods, and intestines of people and animals. E. coli are a large and diverse group of bacteria. Although most strains of E. coli are harmless, others can make you sick. Some kinds of E. coli can cause diarrhea, while others cause urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia, and other illnesses.

Detection of E. coli indicates that the water source is contaminated with fecal matter and a potential health hazard if consumed without treatment.

Some kinds of E. coli are
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC)
Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC)
Diarrheagenic E. coli

Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC)

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (E. coli), or ETEC, is an important cause of bacterial diarrheal illness. Infection with ETEC is the leading cause of travelers’ diarrhea and a major cause of diarrheal disease in lower-income countries, especially among children. ETEC is transmitted by food or water contaminated with animal or human feces. Infection can be prevented by avoiding or safely preparing foods and beverages that could be contaminated with the bacteria, as well as washing hands with soap frequently.

Diarrheagenic E. coli causes watery or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, with or without fever.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC)—STEC may also be referred to as Verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC) or enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). This pathotype is the one most commonly heard about in the news in association with foodborne outbreaks.
Data source: https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/index.html

Coliform screening IS5031 MSDS safety data document.

Coliform and E. coli 3189_msds(1) MSDS safety data document.

Total coliform and E. coli manual. This pdf format document opens in a new page:  3188v_msds

Coliform screening instructions

Coliforms are a broad group of bacteria found throughout the environment. Coliform bacteria may be found in soil, on plants, and in water. While these organisms are not typically associated with serious illness themselves, they are often used as indicator organisms. The presence of coliforms may indicate a possible presence of other pathogenic (disease-causing) orgnaisms. Fecal coliforms are a subgroup of the larger general coliform category. The most well-known example of a fecal coliform is Escherichia coli, or E. coli, a coliform present in the intestinal tract and feces of warm-blooded animals. When high levels of general coliforms are present in water, it is most likely the source is environmental. Rainwater, for example, may wash these bacteria from the surface of plants or from the soil and eventually carry them to a water source. Again, while these organisms are for the most part harmless, a significant presence indicates that they may have travelled to a water source and therefore more harmful organisms may have the potential to travel by the same means as well. Fecal coliforms such as E. coli are not as a rule, found growing and reproducing in the environment. The presence of high levels fo fecal coliforms usually indicates a more specific source of contamination, for example the discharge of improperly treated sewage or runoff from agricultural lands on which manure has been applied. A high level of fecal coliforms in water suggests a greater risk of the presence of pathogenic organisms than does the presence of pathogenic organisms than does the presence of general coliforms.