Multidrug-Resistant Enteric Bacteria in the Water Sources of Kalgo Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

The high incidence of diseases, such as diarrhoea, typhoid fever, cholera, and bacillary dysentery among the populace, especially in remote and developing areas, has been traced to the domestic use of contaminated water. This study aimed to isolate enteric bacteria in major drinking water sources situated within the Kalgo metropolis, Nigeria. Three water samples were aseptically collected in triplicates from three different areas of the city. After serial dilution, the samples were inoculated on nutrient agar and each sample's total viable bacterial count was taken. The enteric bacteria were isolated and identified using standard protocols. The isolates were subjected to antibiotic sensitivity test using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method. The inhibition zones were measured in millimeters(mm). Seven (7) different species of bacteria were isolated from the collected water samples.The isolated organisms included Shigella spp., Serratia spp., Klebsiella spp., Escherichia coli, Proteus spp., Yersinia spp., and Salmonella spp. Among these bacterial isolates, E. coli and Salmonella spp.were found to have the highest frequency of 29.63% and 25.93%, respectively. While, Serratia spp.had the lowest frequency of 3.9%. The sensitivity profile showed that E. coli, Salmonella spp.,Klebsiella spp., Shigella spp., and Serratia spp. were resistant to ampicillin. In contrast, Proteus spp. and Yersinia spp. showed high and intermediate susceptibility, respectively.The presence of multidrug-resistant enteric bacteria in water samples suggests the need to improve water quality through its assessment and treatment before use.