Public Health Implications of Shigella Contamination in Borehole Water Sources in Uli Community

This study investigates the prevalence of Shigella species in borehole water samples from Uli community, with a focus on antibiotic resistance. Shigella dysenteriae, a dominant species, poses significant health risks due to its ability to cause human infections and develop antibiotic resistance, with 80% of resistant genes encoded in plasmids. A cross-sectional study was conducted, collecting borehole water samples from various markets and locations in Uli community using standard microbiological techniques. The samples were cultured in Deoxycholate Citrate Agar in appropriate growth conditions. The isolates obtained were characterized appropriately, and their occurrences was in the samples was also determined. Chi-square tests were used to determine the significance of the prevalence rates. The results indicate a statistically significant difference in the occurrence of Shigella strains (p < 0.05). The results of this study revealed the presence of three Shigella dysenteriae strains: SD53, SD07, and SDBU. Statistical analysis showed that 50% of the samples were positive for SD53, while SD07 and SDBU occurred at rates of 19.44% and 30.56%, respectively. The study demonstrates that different strains of Shigella species are present in borehole water in Uli community, with SD53 being the most predominant strain. These findings highlight the need for regular monitoring of water sources and implementation of effective water treatment strategies to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases.