In order to study the prevalence of enteric pathogens capable of causing infection and disease in the rural communities of Nkonkobe, bacterial isolates were collected from several surface water and groundwater sources used by the community for their daily water needs. By making use of selective culture media and the 20E API kit, presumptive Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Vibrio cholerae isolates were obtained and then analysed by polymerase chain reaction assays (PCR). The PCR successfully amplified from water samples a fragment of E. coli uidA gene that codes for beta-D-glucuronidase which is a highly specific characteristic of enteropathogenic E. coli, enterotoxigenic E. coli and entero-invasive E. coli. The PCR also amplified the epsM gene from water samples containing toxigenic V. cholerae. Although E. coli was mostly detected in groundwater sources, toxigenic V. cholerae was detected in both surface and groundwater sources. There was a possibility of Salmonella typhimurium in Ngqele and Dyamala borehole water samples. The presence of these pathogenic bacteria in the above drinking water sources may pose a serious health risk to consumers.

This study investigated the prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the stool of confirmed and non-confirmed diarrhoeic HIV/AIDS patients. Escherichia coli O157:H7 was isolated by culture-based and immunomagnetic separation from three hundred and sixty stool swabs. Identification was by conventional IMViC, 20E API and molecular techniques. Confirmed and non-confirmed diarrhoeic HIV/AIDS patients had 56.5% (74/131) and 43.5% (57/131) respectively of E. coli O157:H7. Molecular results indicated that the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 was 12.16% (9/74) and 8.77% (5/57) from stool swabs of confirmed and non-confirmed diarrhoeic HIV/AIDS patients. Antimicrobial resistance was higher for E. coli O157:H7 isolates from stools of confirmed HIV/AIDS than it was for non-confirmed HIV/AIDS patients. Escherichia coli O157:H7 might be a silent cause of diarrhoea in HIV/AIDS patients. It is recommended that HIV/AIDS patients with diarrhoea should be screened for E. coli O157:H7 and surveillance programmes for these bacteria should be established in both urban and rural areas of South Africa.