Waterborne diseases are a global problem that causes more than 2.2 million deaths annually. Therefore, the present study was focused on microbiological contamination of both ground and surface water by means of total coliform, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella spp., Shigella spp. and Campylobacter spp. Seventy two groundwater and 45 surface water sampling locations were selected to collect water from the head, transitional and meandering regions of the Kelani River Basin for a period of one year (both dry and wet seasons). The results of the study revealed that the entire Kelani River basin was contaminated with total coliform and E. coli bacteria and almost all the sampling locations exceed Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) guideline value given for drinking water (0 CFU/100 mL). Further, in groundwater, 17 locations were positive for Salmonella spp., whereas only 2 locations were positive for Campylobacter spp. In surface water, 26 and three sampling locations were positive for Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp., respectively. In this study, 23 different human pathogenic serovars were isolated and the Salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky was identified as the commonest type. Thus, the result of the study revealed that the consumption of raw water from the Kelani River Basin is unsafe and possible to cause gastrointestinal diseases.

Prosthetic valve replacement is one of the predisposing factors for the development of infective endocarditis. Prosthetic valve infective endocarditis caused by non typhoidal Salmonellae is an uncommon manifestation. We report a case of a female patient with a history of bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement admitted due to prolonged fever with diarrhoea. The echocardiogram revealed a prosthetic valve vegetation with the etiological diagnosis of infective endocarditis by Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis. She had a fulminant clinical course and died after 6 months despite prolonged antibiotic treatment.

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