PREVALENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF SALMONELLA SEROVARS FROM WATER SAMPLES IN CATTLE REARING ENVIRONMENT OF JOS AND ENVIRONS, NIGERIA

Abstract

Salmonellosis is a zoonotic disease spread through food that is a global public health concern. The prevalence of Salmonella spp. and its serovars distribution in water sources within cattle-rearing habitats in Jos and environs were investigated in this cross sectional study. A total of 150 water samples were obtained from several nomadic communities from diverse sources (pipe-borne, borehole, well, and stream) across six Local Government Areas (LGAs), namely Jos North, Jos South, and Jos Southeast, Barkin Ladi, Bassa, and Toro were used for the study. The International Standard Organization (ISO) 6579:2002/Amd1:2007 protocol was used for isolation. Serological confirmation of suspected Salmonella colonies was performed at the Office International des Epizooties
(OIE)/Italian Reference Laboratory for Salmonella in Italy. The prevalence of Salmonella serovars, water sources, and locations were all correlated using a multivariate principalcomponent analysis (PCA). The overall Salmonella spp prevalence obtained was 12.00 %. The serovars detected include S. Kentucky (2: 1.33%), S. Lille (5: 3.33%), S. Lagos (10: 6.67%), and S. Gatineau (1: 0.67%). The serovars were more prevalent in stream water (9:15.52%) and well water (8: 10.00%), but none were found in borehole water. Salmonella serovars’ highest prevalence and distribution were found in Bassa LGA and Jos South, while none were found in Jos. The four (4) different Salmonella serovars detected are known to be pathogenic and pose serious zoonotic concerns to humans, and this highlights the need for immediate public health intervention to avert salmonellosis outbreaks.