Author(s)

Lucie Leme Banock¹, Blandine Pulchérie Tamatcho Kweyang², Fabrice Ezo’o Mengo², Stephane Arthur Noah¹, Eric Donald Mbo Zang¹, Olive Vivien Noah Ewoti^1*

¹Laboratory of Hydobiology and Environment, Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Yaounde 1, Yaounde, Cameroon.
²Laboratory of Microbiology of Soil and Environment, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Yaounde 1, Yaounde, Cameroon.

The present study conducted in the town of Ombessa aims to assess the influence of abiotic factors on the abundance dynamics and antibiotic susceptibility of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis isolated from some aquatic systems from February to July 2022, monthly samples were taken at 10 water points used by the population (8 groundwater points and 2 surface water points). Samples were analyzed for physico-chemical parameters such as temperature, pH, electrical conductivity. Bacteriological variables such as BHAM, E. coli and E. faecalis abundances were also assessed. Antibiotic susceptibility of E. coli and E. faecalis was assessed using 06 antibiotics using the Kirby-Bauer diffusion disk method. The results show that bacterial abundances were the highest in surface waters. Bacterial densities were the highest in May and the lowest in February. The average densities recorded were 3845 CFU/100mL for BHAM, 380 CFU/100mL for E. coli and 14 CFU/100mL for E. faecalis in groundwater; and 8583 CFU/100mL for BHAM, 6878 CFU/100mL for E. coli and 812 CFU/100mL for E. faecalis in surface water. Antibiotic susceptibility tests showed that these bacterial species are sensitive to Gentamicin, Chloramphenicol, Azithromycin and Ciprofloxacin. They are all resistant to Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole, E. coli is resistant to Doxycycline and E. faecalis has an intermediate sensitivity to Gentamicin. Overall, the Multiresistance to Antibiotics (MRA) indices obtained were above 0.2, indicating the presence of multidrug resistance in bacterial communities. The physico-chemical properties of the water varied over time and space, but on the whole remained below the threshold values of WHO guidelines. The degree of linkage between abiotic water variables and bacteriological parameters has shown that bacterial densities are more abundant in rainy seasons and increased O₂ levels favor bacterial growth, while TSS, CO₂ and dissolved nitrate levels affect the sensitivity of these bacterial species to antibiotics.

Bacterial Abundance, Multiresistance, Abiotic, Aquatic

Leme Banock, L., Tamatcho Kweyang, B. P., Ezo’o Mengo, F., Arthur Noah, S., Mbo Zang, E. D. and Noah Ewoti, O. V. (2024) Abiotic Factors Associated with Abundance Dynamics and Antibiotic Multidrug Resistance of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis Isolated from Some Ombessa Aquatic Systems (Central Cameroon Region). Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 12, 335-369. doi: 10.4236/gep.2024.129018.