ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY OF ENTEROBACTERIACEAE ISOLATED FROM DOMESTIC WATER TANKS IN BIDA, NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Most communities (rural and sub urban) in Nigeria get their water supply from untreated
sources like wells, streams, rivers and ponds that are mostly contaminated with pathogenic
bacteria. This exposes people to gastroenteritis such as Typhoid fever, dysentery, diarrhea and
cholera. Antibiotic Susceptibility of Enterobacteriaceae isolated from domestic water tanks in
Bida town to some antibiotics was investigated. A total of forty (40) water samples were
collected from different domestic water tanks located in the four (4) cardinal points of Bida
town and subjected to physicochemical and bacteriological analysis. The bacterial isolates
identified were further subjected to antibiotic susceptibility test using Septrin, Streptomycin,
Chloramphenicol, Sparfloxacin, Ciprofloxacin, Amoxicillin, Augmentin, Gentamycin,
Perfloxacin and Tarivid. The temperature and pH of the water samples favored the growth of
Enterobacteriaceae. Conductivity, Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), Chemical oxygen
demand (COD), Total suspended solid, Total dissolved solid, Calcium, Zinc, Magnesium, and
Nitrate of water samples were all above the WHO acceptable limit for drinking water. The
result revealed that the total viable count of bacteria ranged from 1.0×104 cfu/ml to 9.9×104
cfu/ml in Eyagi and Banyagi (west) and GRA (South) respectively. Bacteria species isolated
from the water samples included Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp, Enterobacter, Klebsiella,
Pseudomonas, and Proteus. The most frequently isolated bacteria were Escherichia coli and
Salmonella sp. with percentage frequency of 27.77% while the least isolated bacterium was
proteus sp (4.16%). The percentage susceptibility pattern of the bacteria was: E. coli (30%),
Salmonella sp. (20%), Enterobacter sp. (10%), Klebsiella sp. (20%), Pseudomonas sp. (20%),
while Proteus sp, was 100% resistant to all antibiotics. The result of this findings is an
indication that water stored in domestic tanks in Bida town is contaminated with different
species of Enterobacteriaceae hence not safe for human consumption.