Aim: To evaluate the level of safety of water sources in a rural settlement in
21 Nigeria with bias to parasitic infections and to make appropriate
22 recommendations to the government and the community dwellers.
23 Study Design: Investigative study
24 Place and duration of study: Samples were collected in Heipang community in
25 Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria between October-
26 December, 2012. They were processed at the General Laboratory of National
27 Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Nigeria.
28 Methodology: 100 water samples were collected from domestic water sources
29 in Heipang, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. 10 of
30 the samples were from streams, 60 from ponds, 20 from wells and 10 were from
31 bore holes. Samples were investigated for presence of parasites using standard
32 World Health Organisation approved laboratory techniques. Each sample was
33 subjected to macroscopy, filtration, centrifugation and microscopy.
3
34 Results: It revealed that 59 out of 100 water sources investigated have parasitic
35 infestation. Ponds have the highest degree of parasitic contamination (78.3%),
36 streams followed closely with 50%, while wells and bore holes have 35% and 0%
37 in that order. Helminthes were the leading parasitic genera encountered with
38 Ascaris lumbricoides accounting for 33.9% of the parasites. Hookworm was the
39 second most common Helminth with 20.3% prevalence. Strongyloides stercoralis
40 accounted for a paltry 3.4% of the parasites. Protozoan cysts of Balanditium coli
41 and Entamoeba histolytica accounted for 18.6% of parasites each.
42 Conclusion: These findings clearly show that most water sources in Nigerian
43 rural communities constitute grave epidemiological threat to public health.
44 Inhabitants of such communities must boil or treat their water before
45 consumption while government authorities must move in provide safe drinking
46 water to the rural dwellers