Occurrence of salmonellas in lakes and rivers and drinking water of southern Bavaria

: Salmonella could be isolated from nine of 596 samples from lakes and from 195 of 1,549 river water samples from South Bavaria between 1986 and 1990. In correlation with the classification of bathing waters the Salmonella occurrence ranged from 0.3% to 2.9% and 4.3% in lakes and from 1.0% to 7.8% and 23.8% in rivers with regard to water samples which were satisfactory or which were not satisfactory in respect of the guide values and the limit values as determined by the densities of faecal coliforms and total coliforms. In these studies it was seen for the first time that Salmonella enteritidis exceeded Salmonella typhimurium in frequency in 1988, increasing to 63.5% of Salmonella-positive surface water samples in 1990. Salmonella could also be isolated from six of 132 drinking water samples containing Escherichia coli as well and from three of 129 drinking water samples containing coliforms.