article · International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT)
Testing drinking water in internally displaced persons camps across North Central Nigeria assessed the reliability of standard culture methods for detecting Vibrio cholerae. Out of 144 water samples gathered from rivers, wells, boreholes, and dams, 13 samples produced bacteria resembling Vibrio on selective growth media and matched its initial biochemical profile. However, subsequent whole genome sequencing revealed that none of these suspected organisms were Vibrio cholerae. Instead, the sequenced isolates were identified as Aeromonas dhakensis, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Providencia alcalifaciens. These organisms, which can also trigger gastrointestinal disease, were recovered from both surface and groundwater sources. Relying solely on conventional culture methods creates a high risk of misidentifying waterborne pathogens. Molecular diagnostic tools are essential alongside routine surveillance to verify contamination accurately and direct appropriate public health responses in vulnerable humanitarian settings.
Overcrowded humanitarian camps face acute risks from contaminated drinking water. Misidentifying waterborne pathogens based purely on conventional laboratory cultures can lead to incorrect outbreak warnings and misallocated healthcare resources. Demonstrating that other diarrhoea-causing bacteria mimic cholera underscores the urgent necessity of combining molecular testing with standard screening to protect displaced communities from waterborne illnesses.
This work informs the design and deployment of water-surveillance systems and diagnostic validation workflows in humanitarian and resource-constrained environments. Public health agencies, humanitarian non-governmental organisations, and diagnostic kit developers could use these findings to establish targeted molecular screening protocols that resolve false-positive cholera signals. As the research is early-stage observational surveillance, practical application depends on adapting molecular testing methods into cost-effective, field-deployable formats.
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Accurate identification of waterborne pathogens is critical for preventing outbreaks in humanitarian settings, particularly in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps where overcrowding and poor sanitation heighten disease risk. This study investigated the isolation and characterization of Vibrio cholerae culture mimics from drinking-water sources across IDP camps in Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau States within North Central Nigeria. A total of 144 water samples were collected from wells, boreholes, streams, dams, water tanks, and rivers. Water samples were processed using membrane filtration, a 0.45 μm pore-size membrane filter was used to concentrate bacteria, after which the filters were placed into alkaline peptone water (APW) and incubated for 6–8 hours at 37 °C for enrichment. Following enrichment, the filter paper were aseptically picked and placed onto thiosulfate-citrate-bile salts-sucrose (TCBS) agar and incubated at 37 °C for 24 hours. Yellow sucrose-fermenting colonies presumed to be Vibrio-like were further sub-cultured on nutrient agar to obtain pure cultures and were subjected to oxidase testing and phenotypic characterization. Thirteen isolates (9.0%) exhibited Vibrio-like phenotypes, including yellow TCBS colonies, oxidase positivity, and motility. These isolates were suspected to be Vibrio cholerae based on conventional and some biochemical reactions especially the negative reaction they gave with polyvalent typing sera for Vibrio cholerae 01 and 0139. However, whole genome sequencing (WGS) confirmed no Vibrio cholerae among the recovered organisms. Instead, six isolates were successfully sequenced and identified as Aeromonas dhakensis (n = 3), Aeromonas hydrophila (n = 1), and Providencia alcalifaciens (n = 2). The distribution of these bacteria varied across water sources, with Aeromonas species predominantly isolated from surface-related sources such as rivers, dams, and wells, while Providencia alcalifaciens was recovered from borehole and well water. These results demonstrate that reliance on culture- based identification alone can lead to misclassification of Vibrio species, potentially resulting in incorrect epidemiological interpretations. The presence of Aeromonas and Providencia species—both associated with gastrointestinal infections— indicates compromised water quality and underscores the public-health risks faced by displaced populations. The study highlights the importance of integrating molecular tools into water-surveillance systems to ensure accurate detection and guide effective interventions in resource-limited settings.
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DOI: 10.38124/ijisrt/25dec004
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