doi:10.5455/vetworld.2013.285-287 Prevalence of Campylobacter species in ground water in Sokoto,

Aim: The present study was conducted to determine the presence and prevalence of Campylobacter species in ground water in Sokoto, Sokoto State. Materials and Methods: The prevalence of Campylobacter species was determined by collecting a total of 74 water samples from wells in Sokoto over a period of four months from May to August 2011 and analyzed using cultural isolation techniques and biochemical characterization. Results: Totally 39 (52.70%) water samples were Campylobacter positive. The species identified were Campylobacter jejuni 23 (58.97%), Campylobacter coli 11 (28.21%) and Campylobacter hyointestinalis 5 (12.82%). Conclusion: Based on this study, the isolation of Campylobacter species from ground water (wells) in this study is of serious public health importance as untreated water has been implicated as the cause of sporadic infections and outbreaks of Campylobacteriosis worldwide.


Introduction
This increase, as well as the expanding spectrum of diseases caused by the organisms, necessitates a clearer Thermophilic Campylobacters are among the understanding of the epidemiology and control of most common bacteria that cause acute human and Campylobacteriosis.animal gastroenteritis worldwide [1][2][3][4].Campylo- The aim of this study was to establish the bacteriosis is an infectious disease caused by the gram presence of Campylobacter in ground water (wells) negative bacteria Campylobacter [5][6][7].Apart from and to determine the prevalence and distribution of contaminated food and drinking water, direct contact Campylobacter species isolated from ground water.with carrier animals was found to be a possible source of infection for Campylobacter [8][9][10][11][12].Outbreaks of

Campylobacteriosis are often associated with
Study Area: Sokoto is the capital of Sokoto State, consumption of unpasteurized milk [4,13]  A total of 74 water samples were found in water sources such as wells that have been collected from 15 wells in Sokoto metropolis (the wells contaminated with feces from infected humans or that were samples were both government owned wells animals.Most Human or animal waste can enter the and private wells), over a period of four months from water through different routes including sewage May to August 2011.The water samples were collected systems that are not working properly, polluted storm in the morning (between 10.00am and 11.30am) and water runoff and agricultural runoff [7].The rate of 1ml of the water sample was added to sterile bijour Campylobacter infections worldwide has been bottles containing 9mls of Amies transport media increasing with the number of cases often exceeding (Oxiod, CM0425) and were transported to the those of Salmonellosis and Shigellosis [5,18] which is required by the non-thermopilic Campylo-Isolates that were susceptible to nalidixic acid but bacters [31].The prevalence of Campylobacter species resistant to cephalothin were identified as C. coli, and in wells in the study area is high; the potential of human the isolates that were resistant to both nalidixic acid and infection through drinking water from these sources is cephalothin were identified as C. hyointestinalis.also very high.

Conclusion and recommendation
Out of the 74 water samples collected and analyzed, This study has shown that Campylobacter 39 (52.70%) were positive for Campylobacter species.
organisms are present in wells in Sokoto, Sokoto State.The Campylobacter species isolated from the water The identification of these organisms in wells is of samples were C. jejuni (58.97%), C. coli (28.21%) and serious public health importance as untreated drinking water has been implicated as the cause of sporadic C. hyointestinalis (12.82%)Campylobacter coli and analysis of indicator organisms in

( 2003 )
Detection and typing of Campylobacter jejuni and approved the final manuscript.

Campylobacter may be Collection of sample:
Campylobacter atmosphere generated by CampyGen system (Oxiod species from wells in Sokoto metropolis was C. jejuni.Cn25).All suspected colonies were identified by Gram This observation is in agreement with the reports that staining and biochemical test involving oxidase test, C. jejuni is the most common thermophilic Campycatalase test, hippurate hydrolysis and sensitivity to lobacter species in water [24].The isolation rate of C. nalidixic acid and cephalothin.Organism was coli was 28.21%, these observation is in line with the considered to be Campylobacter species if they were report of Popowski et al. [24] on the basis that the motile, catalase positive and oxidase positive [20,21].isolation rate of C. coli in rivers is always lower than The speciation of isolates were based on that of C. jejuni.The low isolation rate of C.
o 37 C for 48 hours.Isolates that hydrolyses hippurate thermophilic Campylobacters like C. hyointestinalis, were identified as C. jejuni (C.jejuni is the only as it does not create a hydrogen enriched atmosphere Campylobacter specie that hydrolyses hippurate).
study compared to the other study supplies which can be accomplished by the may be due to the fact that the study area has the second addition of chlorine which is highly effective largest livestock population in the country, having 3 against certain Gram-negative bacteria like million cattle, 3.85 million sheep, 4 million goats, Campylobacter and enteric bacteria such as the 800,000 camels and various species of poultry coliform group.including chickens guinea fowls, ducks and turkeys