Rapid detection of waterborne bacterial pathogens by multiplex PCR for the detection of bacterial pathogens in water samples

Waterborne diseases usually result from ingestion of water contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms. Diarrhoea is a major symptom of these waterborne diseases, which leads to dehydration and in severe cases, the death of the patient. Many cases of death have been reported due to waterborne infections, especially in developing countries. Common pathogens causing waterborne diseases include Rota virus, Vibrio species, Shigella species and Escherichia coli. Several techniques have been developed for the diagnosis of pathogenic bacteria which are expensive, time-consuming and laborious processes. To overcome such problems, Polymerase Chain Reaction can be utilized as a tool for rapid identification of pathogens. The present study aims at developing a multiplex PCR for the simultaneous identification of waterborne pathogens belonging to the genera Vibrio, Shigella and Escherichia. The genes selected for study were found to be specific for chosen pathogenic strains. All the genes were amplified using the designed primers. The parameters optimised were found to be satisfactory for amplification of selected genes. The Multiplex PCR model developed could be a rapid and specific method of detection of waterborne pathogens.