Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Drinking Water from the Greater Accra Region, Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study, December 2021–March 2022

Hawa Ahmed (), Maria Zolfo, Anita Williams, Jacklyne Ashubwe-Jalemba, Hannock Tweya, Wisdom Adeapena, Appiah-Korang Labi, Lady A. B. Adomako, Gloria N. D. Addico, Regina A. Banu, Mark O. Akrong, Gerard Quarcoo, Selorm Borbor and Mike Y. Osei-Atweneboana
Additional contact information
Hawa Ahmed: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI), Achimota, Accra P.O. Box AH 38, Ghana
Maria Zolfo: Institute of Tropical Medicine, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Anita Williams: MSF Luxembourg Operational Research (LuxOR) Unit, L-1617 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Jacklyne Ashubwe-Jalemba: Medwise Solutions, Nairobi P.O. Box 2356-00202 KNH, Kenya
Hannock Tweya: Malawi International Training and Education Center for Health (Malawi-I-TECH), Lilongwe 3, Lilongwe P.O. Box 30369, Malawi
Wisdom Adeapena: Kintampo Health Research Centre, Kintampo P.O. Box 200, Bono East, Ghana
Appiah-Korang Labi: WHO Country Office, 7 Ameda Street, Roman Ridge, Accra P.O. Box MB 142, Ghana
Lady A. B. Adomako: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI), Achimota, Accra P.O. Box AH 38, Ghana
Gloria N. D. Addico: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI), Achimota, Accra P.O. Box AH 38, Ghana
Regina A. Banu: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI), Achimota, Accra P.O. Box AH 38, Ghana
Mark O. Akrong: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI), Achimota, Accra P.O. Box AH 38, Ghana
Gerard Quarcoo: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI), Achimota, Accra P.O. Box AH 38, Ghana
Selorm Borbor: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI), Achimota, Accra P.O. Box AH 38, Ghana
Mike Y. Osei-Atweneboana: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI), Achimota, Accra P.O. Box AH 38, Ghana

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-13

Abstract: With safely managed water accessible to only 19% of the population in Ghana, the majority of its residents are at risk of drinking contaminated water. Furthermore, this water could be a potential vehicle for the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. This study assessed the presence of bacteria and the antibiotic resistance profile of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in drinking-water sources using membrane filtration and Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion methods. A total of 524 water samples were analyzed for total coliforms, total heterotrophic bacteria, E. coli and P. aeruginosa . Samples included sachets, bottled water, tap water, borehole and well water. Most of the sachet and bottled water samples were within the limits of Ghana’s standards for safe drinking water for the parameters tested. Over 50% of tap and borehole water was also free of E. coli and P. aeruginosa . Overall, of 115 E. coli isolates from tap and ground water samples, most were resistant to cefuroxime (88.7%), trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (62.6%) and amoxicillin–clavulanate (52.2%). P. aeruginosa isolates were most resistant to aztreonam (48%). Multidrug resistance was predominantly seen among E. coli isolates (58%). Evidence from this study calls for routine antimicrobial resistance surveillance in drinking water across the country and additional treatment of water sources at household levels.

Keywords: potable water; One Health; antimicrobial resistance (AMR); multidrug resistance; West Africa; Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6; SORT IT; operational research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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