Prevalence of Drug-Resistant Bacteria in Communal Well Water in the Villages of Allahabad District, Uttar Pradesh, India

Author(s): Priya Singh, Hemant Gadekar* and Sangya Singh Bais

Abstract: The occurrence of pathogenic microorganism and gradual rise in the antibiotic-resistant bacterial (ARB) strains are the recent causes of water-borne diseases. The objective of the study was to screen private water sources for bacterial contamination and to know the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the common bacterial isolates. Water samples from 5 villages of Allahabad district, Uttar Pradesh, India sampled over a period of 8 months and were analyzed for their bacteriological quality. Antibiogram of isolates was determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Isolates were tested for their susceptibility to thirty-three commonly used antibiotics. The organisms isolated include Pseudomonas spp., Klebsiella spp., Proteus spp., Enterococcus faecalis, Enterobacter spp. and Escherichia coli. Out of 60 strains tested at pre-treatment, 24 (40%) were susceptible to all the antibiotics, 36 (60%) were resistant to at least one antibiotic and 32 (53.3%) were resistant to two or more antibiotics. Among 67 strains tested in post-treatment well water samples, 18 (26.8%) found to be susceptible to all antibiotics, 50 (74.6%) were resistant to at least one antibiotic and 47 (70.1%) found to be resistant to two or more antibiotics. Water treatment might increase the antibiotic resistance of surviving bacteria, and water distribution systems may serve as an important reservoir for the spread of antibiotic resistance to opportunistic pathogens. In the interest of public health, water supplies should be tested regularly to confirm their freedom from contamination. Routine microbiological surveillance of water sources and an effective waste management system in rural areas is required.

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