Parasitological Assessment and Public Health Implications of Water Used for Domestic Purposes in Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Aims: Water-borne diseases have been a major cause of morbidity in most developing countries including Nigeria mainly due to poor quality of water used for domestic and industrial purposes. This study was on the parasitological assessment and public health implications of water used for domestic purposes in Ebonyi Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

Study Design: This was an observational study.

Place and Duration of Study: Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria between September, 2014 and October, 2014.

Methodology: Samples from different water bodies in each of four communities in Ebonyi Local Government Area were collected and analyzed using standard parasitological methods.

Results: The results revealed the presence of seven (7) different parasites including Giardia lamblia, Schistosoma haematobium, Ascaris lumbricoides, Entamoeba histolytica, Strongyloides stercoralis, Diphyllobothrium latum and Taenia spp. The result showed that Giardia lamblia had the highest occurrence of 23.57% while Entamoeba histolytica recorded the least parasite presence with 7.14%. The pond water showed the highest occurrence of parasites presence with 44.29% while the least occurrence was borehole with 0.71%. Only borehole from Nkaleke community showed the presence of a parasite (Entamoeba histolytica).

Conclusion: This study result is of alarming concern as the water bodies sampled are the major water sources available in those areas and by this study are unsafe for domestic use because of their high parasite presence. It is therefore imperative to suggest that the government of Ebonyi state and Nigeria at large should make available infrastructures that would make the water bodies safe for domestic use. Meanwhile, the inhabitants of risk areas and the general populace are advised to boil or treat their drinking water with water guard before use. Also, indiscriminate dumping of refuse or faecal materials should become everyone’s concern and be discouraged.