ABSTRACT

Most regions of the developing Countries are experiencing shortage of potable water supply as improved water sources are only limited to urban areas. The high rate of contamination in our rural water sources is largely attributed to low level of personal hygiene, inadequate treatment facilities, untreated wastewater discharged in some water sources and environmental pollution that lower the wholesomeness of most rural water sources. This study therefore, was aimed to determine the occurrence of water borne pathogens in rural water sources in some communities in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State. A total of 40 water samples were collected and 10 streams from each community were analyzed. The Communities includes: Ozuitem, Igbere, Ugwueke and Ezeukwu in Bende Local Government. The total viable counts, coliform counts and most probable number of bacteria in 100ml of water samples were determined. The isolation and identification of isolates was done using cultural, biochemical and molecular methods. The mean viable counts found in stream water samples across the four localities ranged between 7.7 x 10⁶cfu/ml to 8.5 x 10⁶cfu/ml, the coliform counts ranged between 4.7 x 10⁴cfu/ml to 6.6 x 10⁴cfu/ml while the most probable number of bacteria in 100ml of water sample respectively ranged between 12-22MPN/100ml. A total of fourteen bacterial species from different stream sources in Ozuitem, Ugwueke, Igbere and Ezeukwu villages within the period of study were isolated and identified. Eight isolates were identified to the molecular level using 16S rRNA.. From this study, the bacterial species isolated includes Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas putrefaciens, Vibrio azureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas xiamenensis, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Enterobacter cloacae, Salmonella enteritidis, Serratia marcescens, Aeromonas caviae, Commomonas thioxydans, Alkaligenes faecalis and Citrobacter freundii. Aeromonas caviae was the most prevalent isolates with 20.0% occurrence in Ozuitem streams and 15.0% occurrence in Igbere streams while Vibrio azureus has the highest occurrence of 18.2% in Ezeukwu streams. Prevalence of isolates is followed closely by Proteus vulgaris with 16.7% and Enterobacter cloacae with 16.7%, respectively in Ozuitem streams. Ugwueke streams has the prevalence of Pseudomonas putrefaciens, Enterobacter cloacae, Salmonella enteritidis and  Alkaligenes faecalis with 12.5% occurrence each. The presence of these bacteria in water for drinking (domestic) and swimming purposes is of public health significance since they could be pathogens of gastrointestinal water borne diseases.. Consistent  monitoring of stream waters in the hinterland should be expanded beyond the scope of the most commonly associated water borne pathogens as other related pathogens which may not often be isolated by conventional media may be circulating within these localities.