Radiation sensitivity of water- borne multi drug resistant Escherichia coli

The spread of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms in the environment is recognized widely as an important public health issue, with concerns about future ability to treat infectious diseases. The main risk to public health is that the resistance genes are transferred from environmental bacteria to human pathogens. Safe water is one of the most important needs in public health in the twenty first century. Radiation sensitivity (D10) is defined as the radiation dose (kGy) required to reduce the number of that  microorganism by 10-fold. The aim of this paper is to determine the association between multiple antibiotic resistance and radiation sensitivity (D10).Four hundred and sixty four (464) water samples were collected for assessment. E. coli isolation and identification were done using API 20E, and a PCR based DNA STRIP technology that allows simultaneous detection of virulence genes and confirmation of E. coli isolates. Antibiotic  susceptibility testing was also conducted using the Kirby-bauer method. Radiation sensitivity was done using a cobalt 60 source. Sixty-three percent (63%) of the multidrug resistant E. coli strains recorded a multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index value of >0.2. The mean radiation sensitivity (D10) of the E. coli isolates is 0.33±0.11 kGy. The study confirmed a high prevalence of multiple antibiotic resistances in E. coli isolates. Lastly, there is no association between multiple antibiotic resistant indexes and radiation sensitivity (D10) of antibiotic resistant E. coli.Keywords: Antibiotics, Escherichia coli, water-borne, multi drug resistant  radiation, Sensitivity

Cross-seasonal analysis of bacteriological profile of water sources as a disease risk measure

Water is a natural resource and is essential to sustain life. Poor drinking water quality is the cause of several diseases. The aim of this paper was to investigate bacteriological profile of water sources as a measure of disease risk, aimed at providing useful information towards rural water resources management. Five hundred and twenty bacterial isolates (520) were obtained from waters samples collected during the period of study. Majority of the Isolates (305) representing 58.65% of the total were obtained during the dry season, as against (205) representing 41.35% in the rainy season. There was a statistical differences (P> 0.05) of the microbes isolated seasonally. The highest occurring was Klebsiella spp. (9.83±6.99, P> 0.05) in the dry season and the least Shigella spp. P> 0.05. Furthermore dam water sources was observed to poses a high disease risk among the five water sources investigated, whiles borehole water sources possess a lower diseases risk. An alarming observation was the presences of bacteria of public health importance in the water sources. These included Shigella spp. (dysentery), Salmonella typhi (typhoid fever and acute diarrhoeal infection), Salmonella typhi (typhoid fever), and Vibrio cholerea (cholera). In a nutshell, to reduce the level of bacterial contamination of drinking water sources there should be an incessant education on issues such as: environmental awareness, (cultivation sanitation habits and ensure that their surroundings and water sources are not indiscriminately polluted), causes, modes of transmission and prevention of water and sanitation related diseases.Keywords: E. coli, water, Public health and diseas