Microbiological evaluation of drinking water in A Sub-Saharan urban community (Yaoundé)

Abstract

Yaoundé residents collect water from various points to fulfill their freshwater needs. Many microorganisms, including parasites, bacteria, viruses and even alga, are present in water where they form a complex ecosystem. These microorganisms are held responsible for most of the contamination in drinking water and related diseases that threaten health of many individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality of drinking water in some Yaoundé neighborhoods. A total of 508 drinking water samples were randomly collected from a variety of water resources in different neighborhoods in Yaoundé. The microbiological analyses were performed for bacterial parameters, namely to trace the presence of organisms and opportunistic pathogens indicative of fecal contamination. During the study, 1.242 isolates of enteric bacteria (Enterobactericeae) were identified, of which 0.24% was Shigella, 1.30% was Salmonella, 5.15% were Escherichia coli, 12.40% were Enterobacter, 13.44% were Citrobacter, 22.06% were Proteus and 37.76% were klebsiella. And of the 461 aerobic bacteria, 28.20% were Acinetobacter and 71.80% were Pseudomonas. The results of our study showed that 95% of tested drinking water samples are of low microbiological quality and therefore do not fulfill requirements of World Health Organization standard. © 2011 Academic Journals Inc.