Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiling of Staphylococcus aureus in Irrigation Waters in Aliero and Jega LGAs, Kebbi State, Nigeria

This study assessed the microbiological quality of irrigation water in Jega and Alero Local Government Areas, focusing on well water fed and stagnant water-fed ponds. A total of 80 water samples were analyzed for bacterial contamination, with Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis identified as the most frequently isolated organisms. Stagnant water fed ponds exhibited significantly higher microbial loads, reaching a maximum of 1.8 × 10⁶ CFU/mL, and accounted for a greater proportion of bacterial isolates (63.4%) compared to well water-fed ponds (36.6%). S. aureus alone constituted 56.1% of all identified isolates, underscoring considerable public health and agricultural risks associated with the use of microbiologically contaminated irrigation water. Prolonged exposure to such water sources may facilitate the spread of waterborne pathogens, threatening both crop safety and consumer health. These findings emphasize the urgent need for routine microbiological monitoring, improved water management practices, and the implementation of targeted intervention strategies to effectively reduce microbial contamination levels within irrigation systems across the study areas.