MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF Escherichia coli PATHOTYPES FROM IRRIGATION WATER SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM OJO IBA

Abstract

E. coli is a pathogen that causes both simple and complex food related infections and is a pathogen of concern. It is also a common source of diarrheagenic sicknesses worldwide. Water used in irrigation of lettuce plants were collected from various farms around Ojo-Iba, Lagos state. Biochemical, cultural and molecular characterization of the irrigation water was carried out. A total of twelve samples was with code ranging from W1L1- W4L12 collected. These twelve samples were identified to have potentially harbored pathogenic E. coli strains on SMAC and MAC based on the morphological characteristics observed. Biochemical tests were also carried out for further confirmation. Multiplex PCR, identified that six out of twelve samples had Enterotoxigenic E. coli present in them. The positive samples which showed the presence of Enterotoxigenic E. coli are: W1LW, W2L4 W2L5 W2L6 W3L9 W4L10 W4L11