[01] Adebowale Toba Odeyemi, Department of Microbiology, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. [02] Olusola Adeoye Oluwole, Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. [03] Alaba A. Adebayo, Department of Microbiology, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.

Water quality of different well water samples in hostels at Iworoko Ekiti were assessed using standard bacteriological and physicochemical methods. The total bacteria counts ranged from 7.9 x 10⁵ CFU/ml to 3.0 x 10⁵ CFU/ml and the total coliform counts ranged from 9.0 x 10⁴ CFU/ml to 1.0 x 10⁵ CFU/ml. Eight bacteria species were isolated: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella aerogenes, Enterobacter aerogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus spp., Pseudomonas sp., Micrococcus sp. and Streptococcus sp. Escherichia coli (29%) had the highest occurrence while Streptococcus sp. had the least occurrence with 4% among the bacteria isolates. Antibiotic resistant profiling of the bacteria isolates showed that 51% of the bacteria isolates were resistant to ten different antibiotics used with some of them having plasmids. The molecular characterization of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella aerogenes showed that the antibiotic resistance gene is chromosomally mediated. The water samples were observed to be within the WHO recommended physicochemical standard for potable water however, it wasn’t bacteriologically safe for consumption. There is therefore a need for sensitization and adoption of proper treatment and purification procedures for the water samples so as to avert water borne infections by antibiotic resistant pathogens.

Physicochemical, Bacteriological, Well-Water, Plasmid, Resistance, Bacteria, Gene, Antibiotics

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