SURVEY OF Salmonella spp and E. coli IN DRINKING WATER OBTAINED FROM SOME SELECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS IN ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

The aim of this research is to determine some bacteriological composition in drinking water(wells and bore-holes) at Mubi-north, Girei and Mayo-Belwa local government areas ofAdamawa state, Nigeria. Various types of bacteria/viruses are categorized as pathogens, diseasecausing organisms that can be found in pretreated or inadequately treated water. Water, beingdynamic, needs to be constantly analyzed to minimize contaminants that could be detrimental tothe consumers. E. coli and fecal coliform are bacteria whose presence can indicate watercontaminated by human or animal wastes, causing short-term health effects. When there isseepage of contaminant through well casing, cracks or holes in the well casing allow water thathas not been filtered through the soil to enter the well. This seepage is common in the wellsmade of concrete, clay tile, or brick. These are the nature of wells commonly found across thestudy areas. Most of the bole holes are hand dug, shallow, located close to river banks whererefuse and farming activities characterized by bush burning, application of fertilizers, animalsand human defecation is the order day due to these reasons, water sources across the study areasare vulnerable to different kinds of contamination. Investigation into water quality is not arelatively new phenomenon but literature concerning the quality of drinking water from the studyis sparse. 62 water Samples were collected at random from both well and boreholes at differentlocation within the study areas using containers with earlier prepared nutrient broth. Threedifferent media were prepared adhering strictly to the media manufacturer’s instruction. For thedetermination of E. coli, 24g of EMB was used and SS agar was used for Salmonella species.Results shows that in well water during rainy season the mean concentration of salmonella spp.ranged from (153– 272 CFU/ml), Total coliforms, well water during rainy season meanconcentration ranged from (418 – 624 CFU/ml), During dry season, values ranged from (81 –126 CFU/ml), while for E.coli, in well water during rainy season, the mean values ranged from(33 – 71 CFU/ml),. During dry season ranged from (97. – 131 CFU/ml), conclusively, findingsindicates significant higher bacteriological composition in well water during rainy season thandry season (p<0.05). Hence, calls further research and monitoring.