ISOLATION OF E. COLI FROM DRINKING WATER SOURCES FOR HUMANS AND FARM ANIMALS IN NYANKPALA COMMUNITY OF GHANA

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the occurrence of E. coli in drinking water sources used by humans and farm animals in Nyankpala community of Ghana. Isolation of E. coli was done using a slightly modified procedure in the US Food and Drug Administration-Bacteriological Analysis Manual (FDA-BAM). A total of 200 water samples collected from six different water sources viz. sachet water (four different brands), tap water, well water, dam water, bottle water and water from the drinking troughs (drinkers) of farm animals were analysed. The average occurrence of E. coli in the different water samples was 58 (29%). The highest occurrence of E. coli was in well water 100% (20/20), followed by water from drinkers 80% (12/15), dam water 65% (13/20), rain water 50% (10/20) and tap water 10% (3/25). All sachet (0/80) and bottle water (0/20) samples were negative for E. coli. The number of well water samples positive for E. coli was significantly higher (p<0.01) than that of dam water, sachet water, rain water and tap water. This work indicated that some drinking water samples (well, drinkers, dam, rain water and tap water) in the Nyankpala Community of Ghana are contaminated with E. coli and thus humans and farm animals are at risk of foodborne infections from drinking water from such sources.