Abstract
… Objectives: Main objective was to check drinking water for pathogenic bacterialload, their resistance to antimicrobials and to create awareness among the people of Quetta cityabout safe drinking water. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted inDepartment of Microbiology Bolan Medical Complex Hospital Quetta during the hot season inQuetta City (June- September 2013). Methodology: One hundred and twenty five (125) tapewater samples were collected aseptically in 200 ml sterile caped glass bottles from differentlocalities of Quetta city. Samples were passed through mille pore assembly containing 0.45 μmpore-sizecellulose nitrate sterile membrane filter (MF).Viable count technique was used forenumeration of water samples having high bacterial burden. Serological tests and analyticalprofile index API-20E (Biomerieux France) were used to identify pathogens according to themanufacturer’s directions. Standardized antibiotic sensitivity test was performed on MuellerHinton agar using disc diffusion Kirby Bauer technique and McFarland Turbidity Standardmethod 0.5 following CLSI protocols. Results: Out of hundred and twenty five (125) tape watersamples 110 (88 %) showed highly pathogenic bacterial load, in which the most prominentorganism was E.coli 36 (28.8 %), followed by Enterobacter 35 (28 %), Klebsiella 24 (19.2 %),Pseudomonas, 10 (08 %), and Salmonella 05 (04 %). All pathogens in this study expressed a highlevel of resistance to antimicrobials that are commonly used in clinical medicine i.e. Tetracycline,Gentamycin, Sulphamethaxazole, Piperacillin, Ampicillin, Augmentin and Imipenam etc. Only 15(12 %) samples were pathogens free. Conclusion: Among drinking water samples the presenceof pathogenic bacteria (88%) is alarming for public health authorities. The emergence ofresistance and decreasing level of susceptibility of pathogens to a wide spectrum ofantimicrobials is a matter of great concern, because it may limit the availability of antimicrobialsfor clinical management of water born outbreaks in future.
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