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Microbial Hazards in Post-Flood Soils – An Overview Cover

Microbial Hazards in Post-Flood Soils – An Overview

Advancements of Microbiology
Volume 65 (2026): Issue 1 (March 2026)
By: Karolina Furtak  
Open Access
|Mar 2026

Figures & Tables

Figure 1.

Sources of microbial pathogens during flood (author’s elaboration using bioRender software).

Examples of pathogens detected in post-flood soils

MicroorganismsRange of MICs (µg/mL)Methodological remarks (medium type, colony counts, incubation time, and temperature)References
Gram-positive bacteria
Clostridium perfringens1MHB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 36°C(Koburger et al. 2010)
Enterococcus faecalis4MHB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 36°C(Koburger et al. 2010)
3.125–6.25TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
E. faecium0.49–1.95TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24 h, 37°C(Dydak et al. 2021)
3.125–6.25TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
E. hirae0.6–10TSB, 108–109 cfu/mL, 24–72 h, no data(Schug et al. 2022)
Staphylococcus aureus2MHB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 36°C(Koburger et al. 2010)
0.49–0.98TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24 h, 37°C(Dydak et al. 2021)
2–4SCS, 1.5–5×105 cfu/mL, 48 h, 37°C(Denkel et al. 2022)
0.9MHB, 105 cfu/mL, 24 h, 37°C(Krasowski et al. 2021)
0.3–5TSB, 108–109 cfu/mL, 24–72 h, no data(Schug et al. 2022)
3.125–6.25TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA)1MHB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 36°C(Koburger et al. 2010)
1–4MHB, 5×105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Dittmann et al. 2019)
S. epidermidis0.49–7.8TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24 h, 37°C(Dydak et al. 2021)
Coagulase-negative staphylococci2–4SCS, 1.5–5×105 cfu/mL, 48 h, 37°C(Denkel et al. 2022)
Streptococcus pneumoniae8–32MHB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 36°C(Koburger et al. 2010)
S. pyogenes3.125–6.25TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
Gram-negative bacteria
Acinetobacter baumannii0.25–3.9TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24 h, 37°C(Dydak et al. 2021)
Enterobacter cloacae3.9TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24 h, 37°C(Dydak et al. 2021)
6.25TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
Escherichia coli2MHB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 36°C(Koburger et al. 2010)
1.95–3.9TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24 h, 37°C(Dydak et al. 2021)
2–4SCS, 1.5–5×105 cfu/mL, 48 h, 37°C(Denkel et al. 2022)
1.95–3.9MHB or artificial urine, 105–106 cfu/mL, 20 ± 2 h, 37°C(Loose et al. 2021)
1–4MHB, 106 cfu/mL, 20 ± 2 h, 37°C(da Silva et al. 2023)
0.6–20TSB, 108–109 cfu/mL, 24–72 h, no data(Schug et al. 2022)
3.125–6.25TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
Haemophilus influenzae1MHB 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 36°C(Koburger et al. 2010)
Klebsiella spp.2–4SCS, 1.5–5×105 cfu/mL, 48 h, 37°C(Denkel et al. 2022)
K. pneumoniae1.95–7.8TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24 h, 37°C(Dydak et al. 2021)
3.125–6.25TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
Proteus mirabilis1.95–3.9MHB or artificial urine, 105–106 cfu/mL, 20 ± 2 h, 37°C(Loose et al. 2021)
3.125–6.25TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
Pseudomonas aeruginosa2–8MHB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 36°C(Koburger et al. 2010)
3.9–15.7TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24 h, 37°C(Dydak et al. 2021)
8–32SCS, 1.5–5×105 cfu/mL, 48 h, 37°C(Denkel et al. 2022)
2.25±0.95MHB, 105 cfu/mL, 24 h, 37°C(Krasowski et al. 2021)
3.9–7.8MHB or artificial urine, 105–106 cfu/mL, 20 ± 2 h, 37°C(Loose et al. 2021)
3.91–15.63TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24 h, 36°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025b)
1.25–80TSB, 108–109 cfu/mL, 24–72 h, no data(Schug et al. 2022)
3.125–12.5TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
Salmonella enterica6.25TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
Shigella flexneri6.25–12.5TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
Yersinia enterocolitica6.25TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
Fungi
Ascophera apis0.78–3.125TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
Candida albicans1MHB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 36°C(Koburger et al. 2010)
0.49–0.98TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24 h, 37°C(Dydak et al. 2021)
0.45RPMI with 2% glucose, 105 cfu/mL, 24 h, 37°C(Krasowski et al. 2021)
0.5 ± 0.25 and 0.9 ± 0.4TSB, 106 cfu/mL, 24 h, 36°C(Korbecka-Paczkowska and Karpiński 2024)
1.95–3.91Sabouraud broth, 106 cfu/mL, 24 h, 36°C(Karpiński et al. 2024)
0.78–1.56TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
C. auris3.125TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
C. glabrata0.78–3.125TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
C. tropicalis0.78–1.56TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
Cryptococcus neoformans3.125TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)
Rhodotorula mucilaginosa3.125TSB, 105 cfu/mL, 24–48 h, 37°C(Karpiński, et al. 2025a)

Examples of pathogens detected in river water (based on (Global Water Pathogen Project; Potgieter et al_ 2020))

PathogenClassification*
Aeromonas spp.Waterborne
Escherichia coliWater-based
Shigella spp.Water-based
Legionella pneumophilaWater-based
Mycobacterium aviumWater-based
Pseudomonas aeruginosaWater-based
Vibrio choleraeWaterborne
Salmonella spp.Water-based
Helicobacter pyloriWaterborne
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/am-2026-0001 | Journal eISSN: 2545-3149 | Journal ISSN: 0079-4252
Journal RSS Feed
Language: English, Polish
Page range: 3 - 12
Submitted on: Nov 1, 2025
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Accepted on: Feb 5, 2026
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Published on: Mar 31, 2026
Published by: Polish Society of Microbiologists
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year
Keywords:
bacteria,
contamination,
flood,
hazard,
pathogens,
water
Related subjects:
Life sciences,
Microbiology and virology

© 2026 Karolina Furtak, published by Polish Society of Microbiologists
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

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