Isolation of Salmonella sp. in sludge from septage treatment plant

Waste stabilization ponds (WSP) are an often-used option to treat faecal sludges collected from on-site sanitation systems. Since agricultural use is one of the most attractive options for sludge disposal, specific guidelines on the hygienic sludge quality must be fulfilled, such as for viable helminth eggs and Salmonella sp. Although Salmonella isolation methods are well known for other types of samples, they are not suitable for faecal sludge. The reason can be attributed to the co-existence of a native bacterial sludge flora masking Salmonella development, especially if this bacteria is present at low concentrations. In order to select the best methodology for Salmonella recovery from septage sludge, different culture media were assayed at different incubation periods and temperatures. The proposed methodology for Salmonella recovery from sludge can be summarised as follows: (1) enrichment in Rappaport-Vassiliadis broth at 43°C, 48 hours, and (2) isolation in XLD agar at 40°C, 24 hours. Identification of suspected colonies by biochemical tests: TSI, LIA, urease and serological confirmation with Group O Antigen.