Abstract

---

Dams have been constructed worldwide to dependably provide people with safe water to drink, which has become the practice in developed areas of Nigeria and is acknowledged as a fundamental human right and a cost effective measure for controlling disease. However, the glo bal scientific community is increasingly concerned by descriptions of these dams to be aquatic reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria and/or genes. This study was aimed at the characterization of antibiotics resistant enterococci from Epe dam water in Lagos, Nigeria . Isolation was done by pour plating followed by streaking on selective agar. Isolated bacteria were identified using prescribed standard biochemical methods. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion te chnique against using clinically relevant antibiotics. The 66.66% of Enterococcus faecalis , 27.77% of Enterococcus faecium , and 5.57% of Enterococcus gallinarum were isolated from the sample s . Isolates displayed varying high levels of resistance against te st antibiotics. Enterococcus faecalis proved to be resistant to z innacef (Z), a moxicillin (AM), r ocephin (R), and s treptomycin (S), Enterococcus faecium was resistant to z innacef (Z), a moxicillin (AM), and s treptomycin (SXT) while Enterococcus gallinarum is resistant to p efloxacin (PEF), gentamycin (GN), zinnacef (Z), a moxicillin (AM), and s treptomycin (S). Hence, this study ascertains that dam waters are reservoirs of multiple antibiotics resistant Enterococci. Therefore, there is a need to improve hygie ne conditions in the sampled water environment

Keywords: Dam water, antibiotics resistant, Enterococci, reservoir, isolates.