Dynamics of Vibrio cholerae in a Typical Tropical Lake and Estuarine System: Potential of Remote Sensing for Risk Mapping

Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium responsible for disease cholera, is a naturally-occurring bacterium, commonly found in many natural tropical water bodies. In context of U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets on health (Goal 3), quality 6), life under 14), and clean sanitation which aim to “ensure availability sustainable management all”, we investigated environmental reservoirs V. cholerae Vembanad Lake, largest lake Kerala (India), where cholera endemic. The response variability essential climate variables may play pivotal role determining resources, whether they might be safe human consumption or not. hydrodynamics man-made barrier that divides lake, resulted spatial temporal salinity (1–32 psu) temperature (23 36 °C). higher ends this ranges fall outside preferred growth conditions reported literature. bacteria were associated with filtered as well phyto- zooplankton lake. Their association benthic organisms sediments was poor nil. prevalence high laminarinase chitinase enzyme expression (more than 50 µgmL−1 min−1) among could underlie their zooplankton. Furthermore, diversity phytoplankton community dominance genera such Skeletonema sp., Microcystis Aulacoseira Anabaena changed location season, changes community, also have affected dynamics probability presence absence expressed function chlorophyll concentration water, suggests risk maps entire can generated using satellite-derived data. situ observations satellite-based extrapolations suggest risks from quite (with range 0.5 1) everywhere but values are encountered more frequently southern part Remote sensing has an important meeting SDG goals related health, demonstrated example cholera.