Assessment of Some Enteropathogenic Bacteria In Water And Irrigated Vegetables Along Selected Locations Of River Kaduna, Nigeria.

Abstract

Irrigation Farming in Nigeria is not the only one of the most important economic sectors but also provide many job opportunities. Nowadays the sustainability of the sector has become threatened with faecal pollution of rivers used to irrigate produce. A ten months study was done to assess the enteropathogenic bacterial load and distribution in water, vegetables and fruits along some  parts of river Kaduna. The results of bacteriological analysis obtained from water and irrigated vegetables sampled at the various sampling points revealed high correlation with those isolated from the river water in load and species types. Escherichia coli was the predominant coliform isolated with 90% frequency of occurrence in Lettuce(Lactuca sativa). Salmonella and Shigella species were the only enteropathogenic bacteria with high percentage of occurrence at point B. In the control sample, only two enteropathogenic bacteria Salmonella and Shigella species registered 5% frequency of occurrence. The preponderance of identical enteropathogenic bacteria in both vegetables and water in all the three sample points is suggestive of cross contamination by irrigation water from the river. Bring  to doubts the safety value of vegetables cultivated along study area and portended  health risk of food-borne infection to potential consumers of raw eaten vegetables irrigated by the water and users of the water downstream.

Key Words: Enteropathogenic bacteria, Irrigated vegetables, River Kaduna.