[Microbial invasion of the intestine in colonising agamas (Agama agama) from the aspect of hygienic water control in tropical areas of West Africa (author's transl)].

Agamae are regularly found in great numbers in the neighbourhood of water supply plants and excrements of these animals can be traced to the plants proper. In order to ascertain the cause of drinking water infections, 37 Agamae were cought, immediately killed and the bowel contents examined. It was found that the Agamae have no uniform microbial population and that none of the aerobically cultivated bacterial species is present in all animals (Tablet 1 indicates the species for each animal). With regard to the hygienic inspection of drinking water it is important to know that only some of the Agamae discharge E. coli or coliform bacteria with the excrements and that 7 out of 12 animals which excrete large quantities of salmonellae were not found to harbour E. coli or coliform bacteria in their bowels. Under these circumstances the prerequisite to be met by the indicator function for E. coli and coliform bacteria no longer exists for water infections brought about by reptile excrements. The detection of salmonellae in water must be given priority over the detection of E. coli and coliform bacteria if - as happens in West Africa - the spread of salmonellae by reptiles or other animals, which do not excrete E. coli or coliform bacteria regularly, must be considered.