Summary
Published in Applied Microbiology in 1962, this paper by Mundt and colleagues examines the occurrence of Streptococcus faecalis on plants, contributing early microbiological evidence that enterococci — typically regarded as indicators of faecal contamination — can be isolated from plant material in the environment. The work is likely to have documented isolation methods and the distribution of the organism across plant types or growing conditions. This represented an important early contribution to understanding the environmental reservoirs of enterococci beyond human and animal gut contexts.
UK applicability
Whilst conducted in the United States and predating contemporary food safety regulation, the findings have broad applicability to understanding microbial ecology on plant surfaces, including produce grown in the UK, and remain relevant as historical context for enterococcal ecology and food hygiene risk assessment.
Key measures
Prevalence and isolation frequency of S. faecalis from plant samples; bacterial colony identification and enumeration
Outcomes reported
The study investigated the presence and prevalence of Streptococcus faecalis (enterococci) on plants and plant surfaces, likely examining the extent to which this faecal indicator organism colonises or persists in the plant environment.
Topic tags
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