The presence of S. enterica serovars in water that are more
commonly associated with human disease informs us about
the relative risks associated with indirect consumption of the
contaminated water, and also alerts us to specific areas of a
watershed that may need attention with respect to ongoing
monitoring and/or management from a public health
perspective. Molecular subtyping and antimicrobial resistance
(AMR) testing of isolates from these S. enterica serovars provides
an additional level of discrimination among strains that
helps to determine the presence of clinically significant clones
of these organisms in the environment. Identification of
specific S. enterica serovars and subtypes in surface water e
that is, serovars with specific DNA fingerprints (e.g., PFGE
fingerprints) or AMR patternse therefore provides valuable
information that may assist with controlling surface water
contamination in specific areas.