Short communication: Isolation and identification of bacterial pollutants from the Berg and Plankenburg Rivers in the Western Cape, South Africa

Abstract

Bacterial species present in the Berg and Plankenburg Rivers (Western Cape, South Africa) were isolated from water and biofilm samples and population shifts between sampling sites were phylogenetically identified. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extraction of representative isolates was performed and amplified using 2 different primer sets. Various Enterobacteriaceae species were present at all of the sites, confirming faecal contamination. Phylogenetic analyses also showed that, in general, Gram-negative micro-organisms dominated at all of the sites sampled in both the Berg and Plankenburg river systems. Pathogens and opportunistic pathogens, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus sp., and Bacillus cereus, were isolated from the Berg River. Similarly, in the Plankenburg River system, Aeromonas sp., Acinetobacter sp., Stenotrophomonas sp. and Yersinia enterocolitica were also isolated. This raises major health concerns as human population densities along both rivers are high, thus resulting in increased human exposure to these organisms.

Abundance of Pathogenic Escherichia coli Virulence-Associated Genes in Well and Borehole Water Used for Domestic Purposes in a Peri-Urban Community of South Africa

“…Most informal settlements are characterised by the lack of basic sanitation facilities and the inhabitants of such settlements mostly resort to rivers and nearby bushes as their main points of waste disposal. The impact of animal farming [33,34] and informal settlements on the microbial quality of aquatic ecosystems has been previously reported [4,35,36,37,38]. …”

“…Unlike the exceeded target for access to safe drinking water, access to improved sanitation was not met globally, and in the African region, only 7% of the targeted 50% reduction in people without access to improved sanitation was achieved [1]. The lack of sanitation facilities results in the uncontrolled disposal of household and human waste into surrounding water bodies, leading to pollution [4]. In some instances, poorly constructed pit latrines have been used for human waste disposal.…”

Occurrence of Potentially Pathogenic Bacteria in Epilithic Biofilm Forming Bacteria isolated from Porter Brook River-stones, Sheffield, UK

“…Previously, the presence of K. pneumoniae has been found in water samples collected from the river Thames ( Amirat et al, 2012 ) and K. oxytoca was present in river Thames sediment and water samples ( Boden et al, 2008 ). Enterobacteriaceae members have been detected in a number of studies of freshwater habitats ( Paulse et al, 2012 ). The predominant bacterial species in water and epilithic biofilms retrieved from Berg and Plankenburg rivers, South Africa, identified by 16S rRNA PCR and DNA sequencing included fecal indicators, confirming the introduction of pollutants into these habitats ( Paulse et al, 2012 ).…”

“…Enterobacteriaceae members have been detected in a number of studies of freshwater habitats ( Paulse et al, 2012 ). The predominant bacterial species in water and epilithic biofilms retrieved from Berg and Plankenburg rivers, South Africa, identified by 16S rRNA PCR and DNA sequencing included fecal indicators, confirming the introduction of pollutants into these habitats ( Paulse et al, 2012 ). In South Africa rivers samples, phylogenetic analyses have shown the dominance of gram-negative bacteria, suggesting that these microbes possess different mechanisms to survive and tend to be more resistant to various lipophilic and amphiphilic inhibitors than gram-positive bacteria.…”

Microbial Remobilisation on Riverbed Sediment Disturbance in Experimental Flumes and a Human-Impacted River: Implication for Water Resource Management and Public Health in Developing Sub-Saharan African Countries

“…Rural communities have been the most affected by this increase as most of them are located in areas with limited or complete lack of potable water supply, adequate sanitation, and waste management facilities [31]. As in many developing countries, these communities resort to surface water (especially rivers) as main or alternative water sources despite their low microbial quality [32,33,34,35]. South Africa’s surface waters are also used for recreational activities, especially during the hot summer months.…”