Prevalence and Antibiogram Profiling of Escherichia coli Pathotypes Isolated from the Kat River and the Fort Beaufort Abstraction Water

Nolonwabo Nontongana, Timothy Sibanda, Elvis Ngwenya and Anthony I. Okoh
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Nolonwabo Nontongana: Applied and Environmental Microbiology Research Group, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa
Timothy Sibanda: Applied and Environmental Microbiology Research Group, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa
Elvis Ngwenya: Applied and Environmental Microbiology Research Group, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa
Anthony I. Okoh: Applied and Environmental Microbiology Research Group, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa

IJERPH, 2014, vol. 11, issue 8, 1-15

Abstract: Escherichia coli is a widespread bacterium encompassing a variety of strains, ranging from highly pathogenic strains, causing worldwide outbreaks of severe diseases to avirulent, well characterized safe laboratory strains. This study evaluated the prevalence and antibiogram profiles of E. coli pathotypes isolated from the Kat River and Fort Beaufort abstraction water. A total of 171 out of 278 confirmed E. coli isolates were positive for at least one pathogenic determinant and these included enteropathogenic E. coli (6%), enterotoxigenic E. coli (47%), uropathogenic E. coli (2%), neonatal meningitis E. coli (5%), diffusely adherent E. coli (1%) and enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (1%). Interestingly, enteroinvasive and enteroaggregative E. coli were not detected . The phenotypic antibiogram profiles of the isolates revealed that all were resistant to penicillin G, while 98% and 38% of the pathotypes were resistant to ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, respectively. About 8% of the isolates were resistant to streptomycin. More than half of the isolates exhibited multiple antibiotic resistance with 44% being resistant to three antibiotics and 8% resistant to four antibiotics. We conclude that the Kat River is a reservoir of potentially virulent antibiotic resistant E. coli strains that can cause serious health risks to humans who drink raw water from this river, or in the case that consumption of treated drinking water coincides with failed drinking water processes.

Keywords: Kat River; E. coli pathotypes; antibiogram; public health; surface water (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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