Prevalence and Antibiotics Resistance of Escherichia Coli from Well Water in Ekpoma, Nigeria

Student: Praise Itohan Obue (Project, 2025)
Department of Microbiology
Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Water are commonly viewed as potential risk factors for infection with enteropathogens. Well water within Ekpoma, were cultured for Escherichia coli using total aerobic plate and coliform counts on Eosin Methylene Blue for Escherichia coli isolation. The mean total colony count ranged between 3.5x104 to
4.2 x104 cfu/ml for Ujemen, 6.4x104 to 7.2x104 cfu/ml for Idemobo and 4.4x104 to 5.1x104 cfu/ml for Ihumudumu. The highest total colony count (6.4x104 to 7.2x104 cfu/ml) was from Idemob well water while the lowest count (4.4x104 to 5.1x104 cfu/ml) was from Ihumudumu. Out of 15 samples analysed, Escherichia coli frequency of occurrence in Ujemen was 4 with the percentage of 26.7%, Idumebo was 8 with percentage of 53.3% and Ihumudumu was 3 with the percentage 20%. This study has demonstrated the public health significance of domestic usage of well water in Ekpoma as they may be sources of infection to human health especially if it is drank directly without boiling it first. Antibiotic sensitivity test of Escherichia coli was done. The bacterial isolate was sensitive to all except Ceftazidime which it was resistant to.

Keywords
escherichia coli well water antibiotics resistance prevalence water contamination public health microbial analysis waterborne pathogen susceptibility incubation
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