OCCURRENCE OF ENTERIC AND NONENTERIC INDICATORS IN COASTAL WATERS OF SOUTHERN GREECE

A survey of the occurrence of enteric and non-enteric indicators in seawater was undertaken along the beaches of southern Greece during the summer 1988. Total coliforms, fecal coliforms, fecal streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aeromonas hydrophila, total fungi and Candida albicans were detected in 78.5%, 71.6%, 86.8%, 6.8%, 12.4%, 5.6%, 89.4% and 3.7% of the 265 samples respectively. Fecal streptococci were recovered in 15.1% and 19.6% of the samples in which total coliforms and fecal coliforms respectively were not recovered. In 1.1% of the samples Staphylococcus aureus was isolated and both total coliforms and fecal coliforms were absent. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aeromonas hydrophila were recovered in 0.75% and 1.5% of the samples in which total coliforms and fecal coliforms respectively were not present. Total fungi were recovered in 19.6% and 24.9% of the samples in which total coliforms and fecal coliforms were not recovered. Candida albicans was detected in 1.5% and 1.9% of the samples in which total coliforms and fecal coliforms were not detected. The validity of these supplementary bacterial water quality indicators is discussed and indicate that the inclusion of fecal streptococci and total fungi monitoring with total and fecal coliform sampling may provide greater protection of public health in marine waters with high densities of swimmers.