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In recent years, massive avian die-offs from Clostridium botulinum type E infection have occurred in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE) area of Lake Michigan. These outbreaks have been coincidental with massive blooms of the green algae Cladophora, mostly Cladophora glomerata. We tested the hypothesis that Clostridium botulinum type E can grow under suitable conditions in these alga] mats. In a lab mesocosm study, Cladophora from four outbreak-impacted beaches from SLBE were compared with four unimpacted beaches in the Milwaukee-Racine area for bontE gene of Clostridium botulinum. Frequency of the bontE gene was higher after incubation (25[degrees]C for up to 6 weeks) of Cladophora from impacted vs. the unimpacted area. Since no type E gene was detected initially in Cladophora from any of the eight locations, we infer that the increased occurrence of type E gene arose from spore germination or vegetative Clostridium growth within the existing algal mats of SLBE. Moreover, we found that the congener Clostridium perfringens readily grows in mesocosms containing Cladophora. Ces dernieres annees, il y a eu des mortalites massives d'oiseaux dues a une infection a Clostridium botulinum type E dans la region de Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE) au lac Michigan. Ces epidemies ont coincide avec des fleurs d'eau massives d'algues vertes Cladophora, principalement Cladophora glomerata. Nous testons l'hypothese selon laquelle Clostridium botulinum type E peut se developper dans des conditions adequates dans ces tapis d'algues. Dans une etude de laboratoire en mesocosme, nous avons compare la presence du gene bontE de Clostridium botulinum chez des Cladophora provenant de quatre plages affectees par l'epidemie a SLBE et de quatre plages non affectees pres de la region de Milwaukee-Racine. La frequence du gene bontE est plus elevee apres l'incubation (25[degrees]C pour jusqu'a 6 semaines) de Cladophora provenant des zones affectees que d'algues venant de zones non affectees. Puisqu'aucun gene de type E n'a ete decele au depart chez les Cladophora de l'ensemble des huit provenances, nous en deduisons que l'augmentation de la frequence du gene de type E s'explique par la germination de spores ou par la croissance vegetative de Clostridium dans les tapis d'algues existants de SLBE. De plus, nous observons que le congenere Clostridium perfringens se developpe volontiers dans les mesocosmes contenant des Cladophora. [Traduit par la Redaction], The pathology of avian botulism has been well-documented in the literature (US Geological Survey 1999; Domske and Obert 2001; Perez-Fuentetaja et al. 2006), although the epidemiology is often poorly understood [...]

The interrelatedness of Escherichia coli occurrence from various coastal watershed components along southern Lake Michigan is examined. Results reveal that once established in forest soil, E. coli could persist throughout the year, potentially acting as a continuous non-point source of E. coli to nearby streams.

A study is conducted to demonstrate whether attached Cladophora, obtained from Lake Michigan and Burns Ditch sides of a breakwater during the summers of 2004 and 2005, harbored the bacterial pathogens Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella and Campylobacter. Analyses of DNA fingerprint indicated that genotypically identical Salmonella isolates associated with geographically separated Cladophora algae.

ABSTRACT The Grand Calumet River and watershed have been severely degraded by industrialization and urbanization, and yet several high-quality natural areas remain intact. The degraded condition presents numerous opportunities for [...]

ABSTRACT The Grand Calumet River is potential habitat for a rich community of aquatic macroinvertebrates. Historical surveys of these organisms have been limited to post-industrialization of the Calumet Region; but [...]

ABSTRACT The Grand Calumet River lies in an area of great ecological diversity, a result of the convergence of three biomes during glaciation. Over thousands of years the region and [...]

The study is conducted only up to a certain extent over the solar inactivation of Escherichia coli in freshwater. The Lake Michigan has nontidal waters and so the impact of diurnal solar impact is straight forward and simply noticeable, but in swimming waters the effects of the solar inactivation of Escherichia coli would have a straight effect on the policies of the management to take care of the health of the public.

Research has been conducted on Escherichia coli concentrations and interactions in sand and beach water in Lake Michigan. The hypothesis that E. coli concentrations in sand control beach water quality has been tested and discussed.

The authors have investigated Escherichia coli and enterococci. The association of these bacteria with floating, stranded and attached Cladophora, the localization of density and distribution of E coli and enterococci in different areas of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, and the possibility that Cladophora can act as a nonpoint source of E. coli and enterococci have been studied and discussed.

This article describes a quantitative polymerase chain reaction method for the specific detection and quantification of pathogenic Candida in drinking and recreational waters. The assay takes less than 4 h with a sensitivity between one and three cells per filter and an accuracy between 50 and 200% of the true value for cell estimates.