Isolation and Characterization of salmonella from drinking Water Samples of Urban water supply System of kathmandu

Abstract

Drinking water pollution has become a crucial issue throughout the world. In developingcountries water-borne disease account for a large scale of morbidity and mortality. Thisstudy was carried outwith an aim to isolate and characterize salmonellae from UrbanWater Supply System(UWSS) of Kathmandu district. The study was conducted fromAugust 2008 to March2009 in the laboratory of Central Department ofMicrobiology,T.U. During the study period a total of 86 water samples were randomly collected fromtaps of different localities. The samples were analysed by the standard method forphysico-chemical and microbiological parameters to assess the drinking water quality. Distinct variation in physico-chemical parameters were not observed. Analysis of pHrevealed that a total of 11(12.79%) samples were not found in accordanceWHO andnational standard. Total coliform count showed 100% of the samples crossed the WHOguideline value. Out of 86 water samples4(4.65%) sampleswere positive forSalmonella.A total of 10salmonellaewere isolated. The isolates weresubjected to antibiotic susceptibility test byKirby-Bauer method.Antibiotic susceptibility pattern showed that all the isolates were100% susceptible to tetracycline, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole, nalidixic acid andciprofloxacin and 70%were restitant to amoxicillin, 20% to cephalexin and 10%ceftizoxime.