Bacteriological Evaluation of Water Bottles Used by Nursery School Pupils in Owerri, Nigeria

Abstract

Bacteriological evaluation of water bottles used by nursery school pupils in Owerri metropolis was carried out. Eleven bacterial genera were isolated from the water bottle samples. These included Bacillus, E. coli, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Micrococcus, Proteus, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Shigella and Streptococcus species. All the eleven genera were isolated in the water bottle samples collected from Amazing Grace Nursery School, Mary Sumner Nursery School, FUTO Nursery School, IMSU Nursery School and St. Paul's International Nursery School. Absent from FSP and Alvan Nursery Schools were two genera namely Salmonella and Shigella. The genus Salmonella was not isolated from Assumpta and Welsely Nursery Schools. Overall percentage positive isolation of Enterobacter, Proteus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus and E. coli were highest, ranging from 61 to 87.5%, while Salmonella, Shigella and Klebsiella were the least, ranging from 7.5 to 21%. Total aerobic and coliform counts in all the samples ranged between 1.1X 10⁹ - 1.9X 10⁹cfu/ml and 8.0 x 10⁵-3. 6xl0⁸cfu/ml, while total staphylococcal and enterobacteriaceae counts in all samples ranged between 3.6X 10⁵- 8.0 x 10⁷ cfu/ml and 7.2 x 10⁶- 6.0 x 10⁷ cfu/ml. This study shows that all of the water bottles used by the nursery school pupils exceeded safe bacteria levels. Such magnitude of contamination associated predominantly with free-living microorganisms is of public health concerns.

Keywords: Bacteriological quality, water bottles, nursery schools, Nigeria

International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences, 5(4): 309-314, 2009