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Title: | Contaminants of Domestic Rural Spring Water Sources in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, Western Uganda |
Author(s): | Solomon Adomi Mbina, Galimaka Wilson, Ejike Daniel Eze, Theophilus Pius, Ssebuufu Robinson, Adam Moyosore Afodun, Iliya Ezekiel |
Year | 2020 |
Publisher: | Journal of Health and Environmental Research 2020; 6(3): 51-60 |
URI: | https://kiu.ac.ug/publication-page.php?i=contaminants-of-domestic-rural-spring-water-sources-in-bushenyi-ishaka-municipality-western-uganda |
File: | |
Keywords: | Bacteriological Bushenyi Contamination Ishaka Isolates Municipality |
Globally, water-borne diseases have continued to challenge the health conditions of both developed and developing
countries. In Uganda, most water-borne diseases are known to be the leading causes of serious health burden among the
inhabitants. The study objectives were to characterize microscopic isolates using biochemical tests as well as identify the possible
sources of contamination of spring water which is the commonest source of water used by rural inhabitants for domestic activities
in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, Bushenyi district, Western Uganda. Samples of spring water were collected from all accessible
spring water sources in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, Western Uganda. A total of 48 spring water samples were collected using
500 ml sterile glass bottles. The sources of contamination of the spring water samples were determined using a Sanitary Inspection
Checklist which was designed using some standard response factors from a collection of standard reference checklists for drinking
water quality assessment. Distribution of isolates and indicator pathogens of fecal contamination recovered from positive samples
shows 77.8% from Nyakabirizi, 75% from Ishaka and 52.63% from Central divisions. Among the isolates, Pseudomonas spp and
Shigella spp appeared more frequent with overall percentage of (52.63%) and (45.83%) whereas, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus
aureus and Escherichia coli were found in (31.25%), (12.5%) and (6.25%) respectively. Sanitary inspections showed that springs
in Ishaka Division posed a much higher risk (66.7%) of bacterial contamination compared to what was observed in Central
(58.3%) and Nyakabirizi (58.3%) Divisions. All the sampled water sources were contaminated hence they posed substantial risk
to users in the communities. Regular water examination and quality control including microbial assessment of all water sources
should be maintained in the three Divisions of the Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, Western Uganda.
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