Comparative Analysis of E. coli, Salmonella, and Fungus in Portable Water of District Faisalabad

Abstract

Increasing industrialization and urbanizationpose a significant threat of waterborne diseases to the region. The main cause of many diseases, such as typhoid, gastroenteritis, and diarrhea, is contaminated water, which is due to waterborne pathogens like coliforms and Salmonella, etc. Water spreads various infections that lead to endemic or epidemic events around the globe. Coliforms have been utilized as indicator organisms for a long time and are crucial to the regulatory benchmarks governing the standard of portable and recreational water. The purpose of this study is to identify a comparative evaluation of coliforms and Salmonella water contamination. The samples of 90 potable waters were selected from different localities of Faisalabad. Enumeration of bacterial load was done through the viable count method. In order to detect bacteria, the membrane filtration method was employed. For isolation, membranes were placed on MacConkey agar and SS agar, respectively, for 24 hours. Colonies were characterized by Gram’s staining and biochemical tests. For the detection of fungus, slide culture was done, and confirmation of fungal colonies was made by colony morphology and microscopy. All the data were recorded and analyzed by SPSS software.

Keywords: E. coli, Microbial Contamination, Salmonella, Fungus, Drinking Water