Molecular detection of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli pathotypes isolated from drinking water from rural communities in Wamba, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Contamination of drinking water with pathogenic Escherichia coli (E.coli) poses significant health risks, particularly in rural communities. This study was carried out to detect diarrheagenic E.coli pathotypes isolated from drinking water in three selected rural communities in Wamba, Nasarawa state, Nigeria. Fifteen drinking water samples comprising of stream (5), well (5) and borehole (5) were collected. E.coli was isolated by streaking on Eosin Methylene Blue agar. Typical green colonies with metallic sheen were Gram stained and tested biochemically. The isolates were analyzed molecularly using multiplex Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique with specific primers and were found to be carrying Vt2, eaeA and estA genes associated with EHEC, EPEC and ETEC pathotypes respectively. The agarose gel electrophoretic assay was used for the detection of amplified genes for different diarrheagenic E.coli pathotypes. The isolation of this organism possessing virulence genes from drinking water is of public health significance and therefore more attention needs to be paid to the drinking water of Wamba, Nasarawa state.