Presence of antibiotic resistant coliforms in sachet water sold in some parts of South Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

Three hundred sachet-water samples produced in Enugu and Onitsha namely: Aqua Rapha, Bejoy, Teck Tack, SO and Rock Tama were collected from six different batches. They were screened for the presence of faecal coliforms using standard microbiology techniques. Sachet- water samples contaminated with faecal coliforms were selected and tested for their susceptibility to fourteen different antibiotics by disc diffusion method. 80 (26.6%) were contaminated with faecal coliforms as follows: Aqua Rapha 25 (41.6%) specifically (Eschericha coli, Enterobacter and Klebsiella spp.), Rock Tama 1 (1.6%) (E. coli,), Bejoy 20 (33.3%) (E. coli, Enterobacter and Klebsiella spp.) , Teck Tack 9 (15%) (E. coli, Enterobacterand Klebsiella spp.), and SO 33 (55%) (E. coli, Enterobacter and Klebsiella spp). Susceptibility studies showed that E. coli was highly resistance to trimethroprim, sulphamethoxazole/trimethroprim, ampicillin, aztrenoman, ceftazidime, and cefpirome but susceptible to gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, cefoxitin and cefotaxime. Enterobacter and Klebsiellaspp. were totally resistance to all the antibiotics tested. We report the presence of multi-drug resistance fecal coliform in the form of E. coli, Enterobacter and Klebsiella spp. from sachet- water. Key words: Sachet water, feacal coliform, antibiotics, multi-drug resistance