Authors: Jeanette Thurston-Enriquez, USDA Agricultural Research Service scientist, jthurston2@unl.edu and Sheridan Kidd Haack, Research Hydrologist/Microbiologist, U.S. Geological Survey
It has been reported in the scientific literature that Cryptosporidium oocysts can survive up to two weeks in surface water. Other research reports have shown that E. coli O157:H7 can survive 84 days in manure. E. coli O157:H7 and other bacterial pathogens can actually grow in some environments, such as cattle manured soil. Generally speaking, microbial survival is lowest during times when the temperatures are high and the environment is dry. Microorganisms, however, can survive for longer periods in cool to cold temperatures.
Just as high temperatures are detrimental to a pathogen, low temperatures can be protective. Bacteria can survive for several months in cold groundwater such as that found in Michigan.
Table 1. Example of survival times (days) of various pathogens (from "Additional Reading" reference #3, below)
GD CS SA CB EC YE
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Water
Frozen 84 >182 14-56 >300 >365
Cold (5°C) 77 >84 >182 8-120 >91 >365
Warm (30°C) 14 70 45-152 >2 49-84 10
Cattle Manure
Frozen 84 >196 14-56 >100 >365
Cold (5°C) 7 56 84-196 7-21 70 30-100
Warm (30°C) 7 28 48 3 49-56 10-30
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GD - Giardia; CS - Cryptosporidium; SA - Salmonella; CB - Campylobacter; EC - E. coli O157:H7; YE - Yersinia entercoliticia
Additional Reading:
Survival of pathogen zoonoses in livestock manures and manure slurries. Reference: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Detecting and Mitigating the Environmental Impact of Fecal Pathogens Originating from Confined Animal Feeding Operations: Review" by Rogers, S. and J. Haines, September 2005.
Survival Times for Various Pathogens. Reference: Manitoba's Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Initiative, "Livestock Pathogens: A Natural Occurrence"
