Detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by PCR in tap-water and bottled mineral water in the Isfahan province of Iran

The purpose of this study was to consider the use of a simple polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as an accurate, safe and rapid method to detect Pseudomonas aeruginosa in tap-water and bottled mineral water from Isfahan province, Iran. A total of 224 tap-water and bottled mineral water samples were taken over six months, from July to December 2010. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) was extracted from water samples after filtration and culture and PCR was performed by primers derived from the ETA (Exotoxin A) operon gene sequence of the P. aeruginosa. Out of all the samples, 13.8% and 1.97% were positive by this molecular method for tap-water and bottled mineral water, respectively. The results show that PCR assay could become a valuable diagnostic or screening test for water quality.