Abstract
Interactions between environmental factors (water and soil) and humans are inevitable, particularly in rural and semi-urbanized regions. As such, knowledge on the microbial constituents of these environmental factors is key to understanding potential risk to public health. However, the microbial profile of soil and water present in vulnerable human communities in Nigeria is currently unknown. This study sought to investigate the composition of soil and water microbiota in the environment inhabited by recently studied human communities (the Fulani nomadic group and the urbanized Jarawa ethnic group) and estimate the contribution of these environmental factors to the microbiome of the aforementioned human communities. Soil and water samples were collected from the Fulani and non-Fulani community in Jengre (Plateau State, Nigeria) and Jos (Plateau State, Nigeria), respectively. Genomic DNA was extracted from these environmental samples, followed by Illumina sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene and bioinformatics analysis via Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology QIIME. There is abundance of Proteobacteria (43%) signature members in soil samples obtained from both human communities. Analysis of the water samples revealed the abundance of Proteobacteria, particularly in water sourced from the borehole (Fulani). Pseudomonas (30%) had higher relative abundance in the drinking water of the Fulani. The drinking water of the Fulani could be a potential health risk to the studied Fulani community. Factors that increase the abundance of public health threats and health risk, such as hygiene practices, soil and water quality need to be studied further for the improvement of health in vulnerable populations.
Highlights
Interactions between environmental factors and humans are inevitable, in rural and semi-urbanized regions
Hygiene levels and anthropogenic activities on the soil could result in the development of soil erosion that bear fruit as run-off to water bodies used by unsuspecting humans for their domestic activities [4], thereby contributing to increased risk of water-borne and waterassociated diseases in vulnerable populations
Beta diversity analysis using Principal Co-ordinate Analysis (PCoA) and Redundancy Analysis (RDA) plots of Bray-Curtis distances showed no significant distinction between the soil samples
Summary
Interactions between environmental factors (water and soil) and humans are inevitable, in rural and semi-urbanized regions. Factors that increase the abundance of public health threats and health risk, such as hygiene practices, soil and water quality need to be studied further for the improvement of health in vulnerable populations. Africa has the fastest growing need for water of any continent in the world [1], with a rising tide towards urbanization on a yearly basis. Hygiene levels and anthropogenic activities on the soil could result in the development of soil erosion that bear fruit as run-off to water bodies used by unsuspecting humans for their domestic activities [4], thereby contributing to increased risk of water-borne and waterassociated diseases in vulnerable populations. A study that provides information on the microbial profile, and microbial quality of water and soil of the studied groups is needed
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