Federal budgetary Institution of Science «Rostov Research Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology» of the the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare, Rostov-on-Don; 2Federal budgetary Institution of Health «Center of hygiene and epidemiology in the Rostov region» of the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare ; 3The territorial department of the Directorate of the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare in the Rostov region in Azov city, Azov; 4Branch of Federal budgetary Institution of Health "Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Rostov region in Zernograd» of the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare, Azov The long-term data on the monitoring of bacterial quality of water in the Don River are reported in the article. The evaluation of the epidemiological significance of indicators of microbial pollution of surface water body has been performed. Group of Enteric Bacteria and Klebsiella reflect the degree of potential risk of epidemic reservoir most adequately, and a presence of Salmonella and Shigella indicates a direct epidemic danger

Изложены многолетние данные о мониторинге бактериального качества воды р. Дон. Проведена оценка эпидемиологической значимости показателей микробного загрязнения воды поверхностного водоема. Степень потенциальной эпидемической опасности водоема наиболее адекватно отражают глюкозоположительные колиформные бактерии и клебсиеллы, а о прямой эпидемической опасности свидетельствует наличие сальмонелл и шигелл.