ANTIBIOGRAM AND VIRULENCE GENE DETECTION IN ESCHERICHIA COLI AND VIBRIO SPECIES ISOLATED FROM MARKET DUMPSITES IN EDO SOUTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT, NIGERIA

Abstract

Dumpsites are reported as a major source of human exposure to pathogenic microorganisms. In the current study, we investigated the prevalence of Vibrio sp. and Escherichia coli from market dumpsites in selected local government areas in Edo-South Senatorial district. Bacterial isolates were isolated using standard microbiological techniques, and further identified by their morphological, biochemical and 16 S rRNA sequence. The antibiotic susceptibility test and multidrug resistance profile were done by the agar disc diffusion method. DNA extraction was done by boiling method and the presence of virulent genes (Ctx, TcpA_{El tor}, Zot, flicH7, Lt and Stx) in the isolates were detected by polymerase chain reaction as well as agarose gel electrophoresis. Vibrio cholerae and Escherichia coli were prevalent in soil and leachates from market dumpsites in selected local government areas in Edo-South Senatorial district. All the isolates were multidrug resistant, while a total of 31 isolates (26 Escherichia coli and 5 Vibrio sp.) had at least, one of the virulent genes (Lt, FliCH7, UidA, CtxA and TcpA_{El tor}) of interest. This study shows that Escherichia coli and Vibrio sp. isolated from market dumpsites are multidrug resistant, and possesses virulent genes, thus, making them a threat to public health.