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    STUDIA BIOLOGIA - Issue no. 1 / 2019  
         
  Article:   THE EFFECT OF SALTING ON THE BACTERIAL LOAD OF HOLY WATER FROM CATHOLIC CHURCHES.

Authors:  MARTINA TURK, VESNA PODGRAJŠEK, NINA GUNDE-CIMERMAN.
 
       
         
  Abstract:  Holy water plays an important role in various religions. It is also recognized as a source of potentially pathogenic microorganisms. The holy water was linked to human infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumanii, Escherichia coli, and other enterobacteria. In the Roman Catholic Church salt can also be blessed for use as a sacramental and is sometimes added to holy water. Holy water is kept in fonts usually located at the entrance to the church to enable people to bless themselves with it on entering, potentially introducing their skin microbiota into the water in the process of doing so. In order to better understand the influence of salt addition on the bacterial community of holy water and the potential risk posed by this water as a source of infection with pathogenic microorganisms, we studied the composition of cultivable aerobic bacterial community in holy water from fonts and reservoirs of selected Catholic churches in urban areas. Large part of isolates were typical human skin commensals from the genus Staphylococcus followed by Pseudomonas isolates. Selected isolates were also tested for resistance to antibiotics. The addition of salt is not sufficient as a prevention against microbial contamination of holy water. Appropriate hygiene measures like regular water exchange and a thorough cleaning of the fonts should be used regardless of the addition of salt.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance, bacteria, holy water, NaCl, pathogens
 
         
     
         
         
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