Microbiological, Physiochemical and Antibiotic Sensitivity Analysis of Bacterial Consortia Associated with Packaged Water Vended in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

Packaged water, most especially sachet and bottled water, is one of the major sources of drinking water in Nigeria, especially for commuters, whose major way of quenching thirst is to buy from road side vendors and previous studies has shown that packaged water does not always measure up to standard.

Aim: Investigations were done to determine adherence to physiochemical, microbiological standards. Antibiotic susceptibility profile and plasmid profiling of enumerated bacteria using disc diffusion method were carried out on vended packaged water samples.

Location of Study: Eleven brands of sachet water and seven brands of bottled water samples vended in Akure, Ondo State were randomly selected.

Methodology: Physiochemical analysis was carried out and the parameters were checked in line with standard organization of Nigeria (SON) specifications. Isolation of bacteria was carried out using standard procedures and isolates were identified by various biochemical tests. Plasmid analysis and curing was conducted following standard protocols

Results: Total bacterial counts of sachet water brands ranged from 0.2 × 102 to 4.5 × 102 CFU/ml while that of bottled water brands ranged from 0.1 × 102 to 4.2 × 102 CFU/ml. Bacillus subtilis, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis and Shigella dysentariae. Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from the samples.

Conclusion: Most packaged water (Bottled water, sachet water) samples are improperly handled and produced, which could serve as a source for spread of antibiotic-resistant potential pathogens, a risk to public health. better surveillance should be done on packaged water sale and production, public health education is encouraged for safety of residents in the Metropolis.