Publication
Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Drinking Water from the Greater Accra Region, Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study, December 2021–March 2022
Publisher:
MDPI AG
Date:
28-09-2022
DOI:
10.3390/IJERPH191912300
Abstract: With safely managed water accessible to only 19% of the population in Ghana, the majority of its residents are at risk of drinking contaminated water. Furthermore, this water could be a potential vehicle for the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. This study assessed the presence of bacteria and the antibiotic resistance profile of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in drinking-water sources using membrane filtration and Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion methods. A total of 524 water s les were analyzed for total coliforms, total heterotrophic bacteria, E. coli and P. aeruginosa. S les included sachets, bottled water, tap water, borehole and well water. Most of the sachet and bottled water s les were within the limits of Ghana’s standards for safe drinking water for the parameters tested. Over 50% of tap and borehole water was also free of E. coli and P. aeruginosa. Overall, of 115 E. coli isolates from tap and ground water s les, most were resistant to cefuroxime (88.7%), trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (62.6%) and amoxicillin–clavulanate (52.2%). P. aeruginosa isolates were most resistant to aztreonam (48%). Multidrug resistance was predominantly seen among E. coli isolates (58%). Evidence from this study calls for routine antimicrobial resistance surveillance in drinking water across the country and additional treatment of water sources at household levels.