Estudio Microbiológico del manantial termal del Balneario “Termas La Merced” ubicado en la parroquia La Merced perteneciente a la provincia de Pichincha.

Abstract

This research was carried out for samples of thermal wáter obtainef from of "Termas La Merced" hot springs located in Pichincha Province. By means of a microbiological study, it will be posible to diagnose the sanitary quality of the wáter. The principal objetive of the research is to characterize and identify the microbial diversity which would risk the bathers health. The isolation of bacteria that are present was carried out by means of Petrifilm ™ plate method for: aerobic mesofilic bacteria, Escherichia coli and coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, molds and yeasts. It was isolated 21 bacterial strains. For gender and specie identification, biochemical tests resulting in 11 strains were carried out, and two strains were identified by using MicrogenTM identification system. The species found were Brevundimonas diminuta, Citrobacter amalonaticus, Aeromonas schubertii, Budvicia aquatica, Xenorhabdus beddingii, Pseudomonas stutzeri and Acinetobacter haemolyticus. With respect to the positive isolated Gram bacterium belonging to Gram-positive Bacillus. The antibacterial susceptibility study for the 13 identified strains was carried out by means of Kirby Bauer method where it was showed that most strains were sensible to the antibiotics used. By means of Agar diffusion method the antibacterial capacity of isolated strains was finally evaluated. Related to different ATCC (American Type Colony Characterustucs) strains where Brevundimonas diminuta, Budvicia aquatica and Bacillus spp. gender species inhibited their growth over Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. The samples studied contain a diverse heterotroph bacterial population, however there is necessity to carry out periodical deep sudies wich control the sanitary quality to avoid the risk of bacterial infections on bathers.