Virulent properties in Escherichia coli strains isolated from abattoir effluents, kunu drinks and urine samples within abakaliki metropolis, South East, Nigeria

Title: Virulent properties in Escherichia coli strains isolated from abattoir effluents, kunu drinks and urine samples within abakaliki metropolis, South East, Nigeria

Abstract:

This research was carried out to identify the presence of Escherichia coli from Abattoir effluents, Kunu drinks and Urine samples within Abakaliki Metropolis and to determine the virulent properties in the isolated strains. A total of one hundred and eighty one (181) samples were collected, which comprised of; twenty-five (25) Abattoir effluent samples, thirty-six (36) Kunu drink samples and one hundred and twenty (120) Urine samples. Escherichia coli strains were isolated using standard microbiological techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility test was carried out using Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method and Molecular characterization was done using the polymerase chain reaction, gene sequencing, and virulence gene amplification. Result of Escherichia coli distribution revealed that all the twenty-five Abattoir effluent samples yielded E. coli (100%), while thirty-three out of the thirty-six Kunu samples had E. coli (91.7%) Of the one hundred and twenty Urine samples tested, E. coli was recorded in twenty-two samples (18.3%). Result of antibiotic susceptibility test revealed that the E. coli strains from Abattoir samples were mostly susceptible to Ciprofloxacin (84.4%) and Gentamycin (75.6%)  and mostly resistant to Tetracycline (77.8%) and  Imipenem (75.6%). E. coli strains isolated from Kunu samples were mostly susceptibility to Ciprofloxacin (86.0%) and Gentamycin (66.0%) and were mostly resistant to both Tetracycline and Imipenem (86.0%). Also E. coli strains from Urine samples were also mostly susceptible to Ciprofloxacin (74.1%) and Gentamycin (74.1%) and resistant to Imipenem (100%) and Tetracycline (96.3%). Result of Molecular analysis revealed the presence of several strains of E. coli from the three sampled sources. The result  of virulence properties revealed that E. coli strains isolated from the three sampled sources possessed the virulent genes encoding factors (Stx1, Stx2 and fimH) which depicts that E. coli strains isolated from Abattoir effluents, Kunu drinks and Urine samples could be pathogenic and of public health concern.

Key words; Escherichia coli strains, Abattoir effluents, Kunu drinks, Urine samples, Molecular Characterization, Virulent genes.

Biography:

Dr Ndubuisi Collins Onwa studied Industrial Microbiology at Federal University of Technology Owerri Nigeria, where he bagged a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) degree in 1996. He joined Ebonyi State University Abakaliki Nigeria in 2000 as a Technologist. In 2006, he got his masters of science (MSc.) in applied microbiology from Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Nigeria and got converted to a lecturer in 2007. In 2014, Dr Onwa was among the Nigeria Technical Aid Corps (TAC) sent to the Republic of Uganda, by Nigerian Government, where he was, one of the pioneer lecturers in microbiology Department of the then newly established Habib Medical School of the Islamic University in Uganda. Dr Onwa also taught advanced microbial taxonomy and environmental microbiology to postgraduate students of microbiology Department at Kampala International University (KIU) where he was a visiting Senior Lecturer. He came back to Nigeria in 2016. In 2023 he moved to Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo, where he was appointed a Reader (Associate Professor). He is presently, the Head of Department of Microbiology of the University.