Prevalence of Potential Enteric Pathogens in Treated and Untreated Water Sources around Eastern Cape Region

Abstract

Background: Fecal contamination of water sources has always been a major safety concern and a factor in determining the need of a continuous treatment program. A routine monitoring program for drinking water sources would provide increased public health protection. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalent rates of potential enteric pathogens in water sources in Eastern Cape. Methods: Water samples (from water surfaces and undergrounds) were collected from treated and untreated water sources. The Colilert method (IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Westbrook, Maine) was used to screen for fecal contamination and then selective culture media and Rapid 20E API Kit were used to identify different isolates. Results: of the 80 water sources (from Mthatha, Flagstaff, Tsolo, Mount frere, Libode,…. areas) sampled, there was a widespread contamination with coliforms ranging from…1..to.>2400……MPN/100ml. Whilst the contamination with E. coli remained relatively low in most of the sources, there were high contamination levels (>2400MPN/ml) of E. coli in water sources from Ntabankulu, Ngqeleni, Libode and Flagstaff. Among the isolated enteric pathogens, Escherichia coli 1 was the most prevalent (41.2%) followed by Salmonella spp. (17.7%) and Enterobacter spp. (10%). Conclusion: The presence of pathogenic microorganisms in drinking water may pose a serious health risk to consumers especially the young, elderly and the immune compromised. Therefore there is need for governing bodies to take extra steps in treatment and monitoring programs for safer and cleaner water sources.

The Fascinating Cross-Paths of Pathogenic Bacteria, Human and Animal Faecal Sources in Water-Stressed Communities of Vhembe District, South Africa

“…The findings of this investigation are in agreement with those of a study conducted in 2022 by Khabo-Mmekoa and colleagues [32], who found that household water samples were mainly contaminated by enteric pathogens such as Salmonella and Shigella. Muringani et al [33] also reported similar findings, showing that 87.5% of all water samples analysed from both treated and untreated sources in their study were contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. The findings of this study will assist water service authorities in rural areas to develop strategies aimed at reducing the exposure of humans to pathogens that cause diseases, and to create an awareness that household factors such as hygiene practices might be responsible for the recontamination of treated water.…”