Abstract

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This study set out to determine the influence of microbial quality of wastewater from a pharmaceutical industry on surrounding groundwater sources and antibiotic susceptibility of isolated bacteria. Wastewater and water samples were collected from the study sites and the concentrations of enteric bacteria were determined using standard microbiological technique. Physicochemical characteristics of the wastewater and water samples were determined using standard methods. Relationships between the levels of enteric bacteria in the wastewater and water samples were determined using Pearson’s correlation. Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the isolates were determined using standard disc diffusion method. The results revealed that E. coli had the highest mean concentration in the wastewater and water samples. The levels of enterococci in the wastewater samples had the most correlations with the levels of other enteric bacteria in water samples from the boreholes. Salmonella was susceptible to perfloxacin, while enterococci was susceptible to zinacef and all the isolates showed resistance to multiple antibiotics. This study demonstrates that the microbial quality of the boreholes were influenced by the wastewater from the pharmaceutical industry. Water from the boreholes had poor microbial quality and potential pathogenic antibiotic-resistant bacteria that may pose significant risks to public health

Keywords: Antibiogram, enteric bacteria, water quality, microbial indicators, human health