Virological Quality of Urban Rivers and Hospitals Wastewaters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Polluted rivers and hospital wastewater become a greater concern because of their public health and environmental hazards with high tendency to result in epidemics.

The current study investigated 84 samples of Urban rivers and 30 samples of hospitals wastewaters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia between February and April, 2017. The simultaneous detection of male-specific and somatic Coliphages from the samples was carried out using Escherichia coli CB390 as the host according to the single agar layer plaque assay at public health microbiology laboratory of Ethiopian Public Health Institute.

Of the total 114 samples tested, coliphages were detected in 44 (52.4%) and 3 (10%) samples of urban rivers and hospital waste waters, respect ively. Total coliphages enumerations ranged from <1pfu/100ml to 5.2×10³pfu/100ml for urban rivers and <1pfu/100ml to 4.92×10³pfu/100ml for hospitals wastewaters.

The detection of total coliphages in our study settings warrants the possibility that the pollution of urban rivers and hospital wastewaters may be a source for pathogenic viral infections. Unless coliphages, viral and fecal indicators are also examined in the waters by public health agencies, waterborne infections cause a major risk to public health.