Improved Microbial Source Tracking with Digital PCR

CRUZ, MERCEDES CECILIA; WUERTZ, STEFAN; NSHIMYIMANA, JEAN PIERRE; THOMPSON, R. JANELLE

Atlanta

Conferencia; ASM Microbe 2018; 2018

American Society of Microbiology

This study addressed whether digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) could improve sensitivity and specificity of human-associated Bacteroidales genetic markers, BacHum and B.theta, and their quantification in environmental and fecal composite samples. Human markers were quantified by qPCR and ddPCR in 180 samples including human and animal feces, sewage, and environmental water. The sensitivity of ddPCR and qPCR marker assays in sewage and human stool was 0.85 to 1.00 with marginal reduction in human stool by ddPCR relative to qPCR ( 0.87, p