Assessment of pathogens in flood waters in coastal rural regions: Case study after Hurricane Michael and Florence

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 18; no. 8; p. e0273757
• Main Authors: Usmani, Moiz, Uprety, Sital, Bonham, Nathan, Jamal, Yusuf, Mao, Yuqing, Sano, Daisuke, Shisler, Joanna, Unnikrishnan, Avinash, Nguyen, Thanh H., Jutla, Antarpreet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 04.08.2023
• Subjects: Analysis; Biology and Life Sciences; Campylobacter; Case reports; Coastal ecosystems; Coastal flooding; Coastal waters; Coastal zone; Contamination; Decision making; E coli; Earth Sciences; Environmental aspects; Evaluation; Farms; Floods; Floodwater; Genetic testing; Health aspects; Human populations; Hurricane damage; Hurricanes; Medicine and Health Sciences; Pathogenic microorganisms; Pathogens; People and places; Rain; Rural areas; Rural populations; Salmonella; Storm damage; United States; Water analysis; Water pollution; Water sampling; Water treatment; United States; North Carolina; Mexico; Florida; United States > US
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273757

The severity of hurricanes, and thus the associated impacts, is changing over time. One of the understudied threats from damage caused by hurricanes is the potential for cross-contamination of water bodies with pathogens in coastal agricultural regions. Using microbiological data collected after hurricanes Florence and Michael, this study shows a dichotomy in the presence of pathogens in coastal North Carolina and Florida. Salmonella typhimurium was abundant in water samples collected in the regions dominated by swine farms. A drastic decrease in Enterococcus spp . in Carolinas is indicative of pathogen removal with flooding waters. Except for the abundance presence of Salmonella typhimurium , no significant changes in pathogens were observed after Hurricane Michael in the Florida panhandle. We argue that a comprehensive assessment of pathogens must be included in decision-making activities in the immediate aftermath of hurricanes to build resilience against risks of pathogenic exposure in rural agricultural and human populations in vulnerable locations.