Occurrence of Escherichia coli and faecal coliforms in drinking water at source and household point-of-use in Rohingya camps, Bangladesh

Abstract

BackgroundSafe water is essential for life but unsafe for human consumption if it is contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms. An acceptable quality of water supply (adequate, safe and accessible) must be ensured to all human beings for a healthy life.MethodsWe collected and analyzed a total of 12,650 drinking water samples, for the presence of Escherichia coli and faecal coliforms, from a large habitation of the displaced Rohingya population comprising of about 1.16 million people living within 4 km2.ResultsWe found that 28% (n = 893) water samples derived from tubewells were contaminated with faecal coliforms and 10.5% (n = 333) were contaminated with E. coli; also, 73.96% (n = 4644) samples from stored household sources (at point of use—POU) were found contaminated with faecal coliforms while 34.7% (n = 2179) were contaminated with E. coli. It was observed that a higher percentage of POU samples fall in the highest risk category than that of their corresponding sources.ConclusionsFrom our findings, it appears that secondary contamination could be a function of very high population density and could possibly occur during collection, transportation, and storage of water due to lack of knowledge of personal and domestic hygiene. Hence, awareness campaign is necessary, and the contaminated sources should be replaced. Further, the POU water should be treated by a suitable method.

Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli in Drinking Water Samples From a Forcibly Displaced, Densely Populated Community Setting in Bangladesh

“…In our previous study, we investigated the occurrence of E. coli and fecal coliforms in source and household drinking water samples in Rohingya camps, wherein 10.5% tubewell water and 34.7% POU water samples were found to be contaminated with E. coli (26). In the current study, the ESBL-producing E. coli isolates from the contaminated drinking water samples of our previous study were characterized concerning antimicrobial susceptibility, dissemination of drug resistance, and pathogenic potential to comprehend the extent of public health threat due to the exposure of contaminated drinking water in Rohingya camps of Bangladesh.…”

“…We employed drinking water samples from Rohingya camps collected in our previous study to culture E. coli isolates (26). From a total of 2512 E. coli contaminated water samples, 421 water samples were randomly selected for the present study.…”

“…In Bangladesh, the displaced Rohingya people are one such community with a population of ∼1.16 million who are living in 32 congested camps in a challenging hilly landscape of Cox's Bazar district (290,000 persons per square kilometer). This displacement, of a large population are facing compounding problems, particularly related to water, sanitation, hygiene and health care (24)(25)(26)(27). Water from hand-pumped tube wells is the primary water supply for the people in Rohingya camps.…”

“…In our previous study, we analyzed source water (tubewell) samples, as well as POU drinking water samples, from Rohingya camps and found 10.5% source water and 34.7% POU water samples were contaminated with E. coli, which could cause waterborne diseases in the camps (26). An outbreak of ESBLproducing E. coli might create a medical emergency in a large congested habitation like Rohingya camps because of limited treatment options.…”

A framework for monitoring the safety of water services: from measurements to security

“…Use of this elevated temperature is intended to inhibit the growth of non-Escherichia coliforms, but mostly Citrobacter and Enterobacter are reduced, and even then, not all strains of those genera 13 . While fixed ratios of E. coli to thermotolerant coliforms are sometimes reported, this relationship varies widely 14 -including by climate 15 and water type 16 , and by the enumeration method 14 . Thermotolerant coliforms are sometimes referred to as 'faecal coliforms', a misnomer as they do not all originate from faeces 17 .…”