ABSTRACT
Ogbese river is the primary source of drinking water for the community’s inhabitants. This study aimed to evaluate members of Enterobacteriaceae of public health significance isolated from Ogbese river in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria.
Three sampling points, upstream, midstream, and downstream, were chosen with intervals of 100 meters apart, and water samples were collected against the water current. Samples for physicochemical and bacteriological analyses were collected in sterile clean containers, appropriately labelled, and analyzed using standard analytical and bacteriological methods.
The results of the physicochemical analyses showed that temperature ranged from 26.00 ±1.00 0C - 27.00 ±1.00 0C, pH ranged from 6.63 ±0.12 - 8.20 ±0.10, total dissolved solids ranged from 24.83 ±1.53 mg/ml - 156.77 ±16.47 mg/ml, and conductivity ranged from 48.00 ±3.00 µS/cm - 224.07 ±166.53 µS/cm respectively. The total heterotrophic bacterial counts ranged from 4.52 ±2.12 cfu/ml – 51.50 ±4.94 cfu/ml, while the total coliform counts ranged from 0.33 ±0.03 cfu/ml – 17 ±1.55 cfu/ml. The molecular identification of the bacterial isolates revealed the presence of Enterobacter hormaechei, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella bongori, Escherichia coli, Serratia liquefasciens, and Shigella flexneri. The most frequently occurring isolate was Escherichia coli (99.90%), while the least frequently occurring isolate was Serratia liquefasciens (21.90%). The phenotypic virulence properties revealed that all isolates were beta-hemolytic. The results of the antibiotic sensitivity tests revealed that all isolates were resistant to tetracycline and erythromycin, but were susceptible to ciprofloxacin and meropenem. All isolates had multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index values greater than the permissible limit (0.2). This suggests that the isolates are of public health significance as a risk factor to consumption of water from Ogbese river. Concerted efforts should be put in place, by the relevant authorities, to checkmate the public health menance associated, with the consumption of water from Ogbese river, Nigeria.
