{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]],"date-time":"2026-04-15T09:07:26Z","timestamp":1776244046141,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":67,"publisher":"IWA Publishing","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,23]],"date-time":"2025-06-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1750636800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["iwaponline.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:p\/>\n               <jats:p>The contamination of coastal water with Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) poses a significant risk to human health as they are causing severe gastroenteritis diseases. This study focused on detecting Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) and STEC in coastal waters along the southern coastal belt in Sri Lanka. Water samples (n=66) from 22 sampling locations were collected, and the virulent genes, eae, stx1 and stx2, were selected for the screening of EHEC and STEC. Amplification was done through optimized PCR protocols. Further, the water quality was measured in terms of N-NO\u22123, N-NO\u22122, N-NH3, Total Nitrogen, Total Phosphate and COD in selected locations following the APHA standard methods. The findings indicate the presence of EHEC and STEC in some locations of the southern coast belt, which are popular for tourism and recreational activities. STEC were detected at 45.45% of sampling locations in the southern coastal belt of Sri Lanka, while EHEC was detected at 54.54%. Further, the recorded water quality values for N-NO3\u2212, N-NO2\u2212, N-NH3+, Total Nitrogen, Total Phosphate and COD ranged from 0.30 to 3.48 mg\/L, 0 to 0.64 mg\/L, 0.03 to 2.39 mg\/L, 0.48 to 4.31mg\/L, 0.06 to 3.17mg\/L and 584 to 679mg\/L, respectively.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.2166\/wh.2025.353","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,23]],"date-time":"2025-06-23T06:37:18Z","timestamp":1750660638000},"page":"861-876","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2166\/iwapcrossmarkpolicypage","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Occurrence of Shiga-toxigenic and enteropathogenic <i>E. coli<\/i> contaminations and assessment of water quality in the southern coastal belt in Sri Lanka"],"prefix":"10.2166","volume":"23","author":[{"given":"S. M. T. V.","family":"Bandara","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"a Centre for Water Quality and Algae Research, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Gangodawila, Nugegoda,10250, Sri Lanka"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"P. A. K. C.","family":"Wijerathna","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"a Centre for Water Quality and Algae Research, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Gangodawila, Nugegoda,10250, Sri Lanka"},{"name":"b Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Gangodawila, Nugegoda, 10250, Sri Lanka"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5108-832X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gayani Yasodara","family":"Liyanage","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"a Centre for Water Quality and Algae Research, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Gangodawila, Nugegoda,10250, Sri Lanka"},{"name":"c Department of Aquatic Bioresources, Faculty of Urban and Aquatic Bioresource, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Gangodawila, Nugegoda, 10250, Sri Lanka"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"S.","family":"Pathirage","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"d Department of Food and Water, Medical Research Institute, Colombo 08, Sri Lanka"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Pathmalal","family":"Manage","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"a Centre for Water Quality and Algae Research, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Gangodawila, Nugegoda,10250, Sri Lanka"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"945","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph14030320"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envc.2021.100154"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rsma.2021.101774"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-4","volume-title":"Standard Method of the Examination of Water and Wastewater","author":"APHA","year":"2012","edition":"22"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheh.2021.113824"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.00271-16"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-7","article-title":"Identification of E. coli O157 Strain, Salmonella sp., and Shigella sp. in Negombo Lagoon, Sri Lanka","volume":"28","author":"Bandara","year":"2024"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10811-019-01993-5"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s12010-011-9251-x"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/toxins14010062"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1089\/fpd.2010.0699"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-015-1017-6"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-13","unstructured":"Chakraborty S. (2018) Antibiotic Sensitivity and Heavy Metal Tolerant Escherichia Coli O157: H7 Isolated From Marine Coastal Waters off Vishakhapatnam, India. Doctoral dissertation, Visakhapatnam: National Institute of Oceanography."},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.meegid.2012.01.005"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2023.167911"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3201\/eid0705.017507"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.5772\/intechopen.82375","article-title":"Escherichia coli and food safety","volume-title":"The Universe of Escherichia Coli","author":"Ekici","year":"2019"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/0275754031000087074"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ani9100733"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.agwat.2011.04.004"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.agwat.2014.12.002"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2672.2005.02753.x"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.medmic.2020.100025"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.watres.2017.09.043"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-25","volume-title":"Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment for Sustainable Water Resources","author":"Hamilton","year":"2016"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3201\/eid2108.141364"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.14202\/vetworld.2023.2016-2028"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-28","article-title":"Nitrite, Nitrate, Ammonia and Phosphate Pollution and Their Remediation","volume-title":"Microbial Technologies and Their Applications","author":"Idroos","year":"2023"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4038\/sljas.v28i1.7603"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.marpolbul.2021.113188"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1995-7645(14)60182-6"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.marpol.2023.105477"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5423\/PPJ.2010.26.3.289"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/app9245392"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envint.2017.11.003"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mib.2021.10.004"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-37","first-page":"23","article-title":"Occurrence and abundance of multiple antibiotic resistance bacteria in hospital effluent water","author":"Liyanage","year":"2017","journal-title":"Asian Journal of Microbiology Biotechnology & Environmental Sciences"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-38","article-title":"Study on the occurrence of antibiotic contaminations in the aquatic environment, Sri Lanka","author":"Liyanage","year":"2014"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s12649-024-02544-x"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2478\/jwld-2019-0001"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rsma.2022.102193"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/tbed.12789"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0950268818002595"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-44","unstructured":"O'sullivan J., Bolton D. J., Duffy G., Baylis C., Tozzoli R., Wasteson Y. & Lofdahl S. (2007) Methods for Detection and Molecular Characterization of Pathogenic Escherichia coli. Ashtown, Ireland: Pathogenic Escherichia Coli Network."},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1007\/978-981-99-0526-3","volume-title":"Sustainable Valorization of Agriculture & Food Waste Biomass: Application in Bioenergy & Useful Chemicals","author":"Pal","year":"2023"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rsma.2022.102788"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wem.2021.04.007"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(10)60963-4"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.02688-07"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1155\/2022\/8962698"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.03136-15"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.diagmicrobio.2015.03.015"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.02888-12"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.nexus.2021.100008"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-55","author":"Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI)","year":"2013"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/aem.56.4.1135-1139.1990"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-57","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jenvman.2018.06.045"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0061090"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0300304"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-60","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijfoodmicro.2015.12.006"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-61","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4038\/jepsl.v4i2.7861"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-62","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10096-003-1025-0"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-63","volume-title":"Guidelines on Safe Recreational Water Quality. Volume 1 Coastal and Fresh Waters","author":"WHO","year":"2021"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-64","article-title":"Biological Wastewater Treatment Technology","volume-title":"Microbial Technologies and Their Applications","author":"Wijerathna","year":"2023a"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-65","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1007\/978-981-99-0526-3_1","article-title":"Waste Biomass Valorization and Its Application in the Environment","volume-title":"Sustainable Valorization of Agriculture & Food Waste Biomass. Clean Energy Production Technologies","author":"Wijerathna","year":"2023b"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-66","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s40899-024-01091-6"},{"key":"key-10.2166\/wh.2025.353-67","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1504\/IJEWM.2024.141626"}],"container-title":["Journal of Water and Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/iwaponline.com\/jwh\/article-pdf\/23\/7\/861\/1577564\/jwh2025353.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/iwaponline.com\/jwh\/article-pdf\/23\/7\/861\/1577564\/jwh2025353.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,31]],"date-time":"2025-07-31T13:10:44Z","timestamp":1753967444000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/iwaponline.com\/jwh\/article\/23\/7\/861\/108552\/Occurrence-of-Shiga-toxigenic-and-enteropathogenic"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,23]]},"references-count":67,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,23]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2166\/wh.2025.353","relation":{},"ISSN":["1477-8920","1996-7829"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1477-8920","type":"print"},{"value":"1996-7829","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,23]]}}}