Molecular Methods for the Detection of Waterborne Pathogens

The safety of potable water relies on sensitive and specific testing of samples for pathogenic waterborne agents. Traditional methods often fail to recover or detect the causative pathogen and rely on the detection of indicator organisms to judge the safety of the samples. Molecular technology has grown enormously in the past several decades and lends itself to the development of rapid, sensitive and specific tests for pathogens in all types of samples. This chapter reviews the molecular methods that have been designed and used to detect viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and cyanobacteria from water and environmental samples. It gives a brief description of each method followed by examples of where the method has been used. Detection limits of each method are noted where available along with advantages and disadvantages of each technique.