In infected individuals, pathogenic organisms are found along with fecal coliform bacteria. A person swimming in such waste has greater chance of getting sick from swallowing disease-causing organisms, or from pathogens entering the body through cuts in the skin, the nose, mouth, or the ears. Disease and illness such as typhoid fever, hepatitis, gastroenteritis, dysentery, and ear infections can be contracted in waters with high fecal coliform counts. Pathogens are relatively scarce in water, making them difficult and time-consuming to monitor directly. Instead, fecal coliform levels are monitored, because of the correlation between fecal coliform counts and the probability of contracting a disease from the water.
All methods require some incubation time in a warm environment.
It is imperative that equipment and supplies used to grow colonies in a fecal coliform test not be used again, but are cleansed with bleach and disposed of properly.