Abstract

Water is essential for human nutrition, both as drinking water and as a component of food. However, it also serves as a major vehicle for disease transmission, especially in developing and even advanced countries. The study aimed to assess Water Usage Practices and Associated Risk of Salmonella among Residents of some Communities of Obio Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria. Well-structured questionnaire was distributed to check for exposure to borehole water and random sampling was adopted in selecting the respondents. The questionnaires were administered in February 2024. The study revealed that 63.3% of the respondents were males while 36.7% were females. Most respondents (73.3) were unaware of the water transmission of Salmonella. As regards safety of borehole water for consumption 73.3% of the respondents agreed that borehole water is their major source of drinking water. The exposure and outcome relationship showed a relative risk of 1.21 (95% CI, 0.73 – 1.99). The overall analysis showed 17.7% attributable risk percent for Obio-Akpor Local Government Area. The study indicates that residents of Obio-Akpor LGA mainly use borehole water with low awareness of its health risks. Public health education and improved access to safe water are needed.