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Microbial Source Tracking

By Ohio Water Microbiology Laboratory

Microbial source tracking (MST) is a term used for the process of identifying the source of fecal contamination in the environment. 

Microbial source tracking_Hood 006_rnb
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The intestinal microbes of animal groups are different and can lead to genetic differences that can be detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) methods

  • Utilization of MST markers to characterize different sources of fecal contamination has the potential to be a powerful tool in identifying major contributors of contamination to natural waters.
  • The OWML can analyze for markers associated with humans, cattle, ruminants, canines, swine, poultry, waterfowl, and horses.