Abstract

The purpose of this study was to quantify the amounts of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) found in water samples obtained from the River Owena. About five (5) litre of water were randomly obtained in a sterile plastic container for duration of ten weeks. The culture-based approach (eosine methylene blue and membrane lauryl sulphate agar) was used to count the number of E. coli. The 16S rRNA (Ribosomal ribonucleic acid) gene of the virus was amplified to yielded quantifiable data regarding the presence of the HAV in water samples. Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) was used to determine the risk of consuming water from the river that contained E. coli and the HAV. Findings demonstrated that throughout the course of ten weeks, the bacterial load ranged from 1.8 to 2.6 x 10⁴ (CFU/100 ml) while the viral load varied from 0.71 to 2.4 x 10⁶ copies per milliliter. It has been established by the pollution impact research that River Owena was contaminated. By assessing the bacterial and viral counts, it has shown that the water samples obtained at the river site contained trace of fecal contamination and this could result into possible risk of gastrointestinal sickness for unsuspecting consumers.