Acta Scientific MICROBIOLOGY (ISSN: 2581-3226) Volume 5 Issue 9 September 2022 Potentially Pathogenic Bacteria in Water Bodies and Drinking Water Supplies in and Around Bareilly, India Bhoj R Singh*, Ravichandran Karthikeyan, Dharmendra K Sinha, Vinodhkumar OR, Varsha Jaykumar, Akanksha Yadav and Himani Agri Division of Epidemiology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, India *Corresponding Author: Bhoj R Singh, Division of Epidemiology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, India. Research Article Received: August 01, 2022 Published: August 22, 2022 © All rights are reserved by Bhoj R Singh., et al. Abstract The study was conducted to evaluate the microbial quality of water supplies in Bareilly city and nearby villages. A total of 111 samples comprising community pond water (45), drinking water (36), water tap handle swabs (city, 23) and sewage water (7, city) were analysed. Total of 363 bacterial isolates belonging to 25 genera were identified of which 71.3%, 47.7% and 30% isolates had multiple drug resistance, carbapenem resistance and produced extended spectrum-β-lactamases (ESBL), respectively. Twenty of the 36 drinking water samples had coliforms and 33.3% were positive for Escherichia coli. Besides, 55 samples had ESKAPE bacteria, 43.24% were positive for carbapenem resistant bacteria (CRB) and 24.3% samples had carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). In drinking water samples 8.3 % had CRE and 33.3% had CRB. Two third (65.2%) of water faucet (tap) handles in public places had CRBs mostly belonging to ESKAPE group of pathogens, and 52.2% carried CRE. The community pond water was still the bigger health hazard since 64.4% and 44.4% of samples were positive for CRB and CRE, respectively. The study indicated that community water sources either for drinking or for other purposes in and around Bareilly city were potential source of MDR, CR and ESBL producing strains. Keywords: AMR; CRE; Carbapenem-resistance; Community Water; ESBL; MDR Introduction Microbial water quality specifically used for drinking and other community uses is of high significance due to potential role of water in spreading waterborne and foodborne infections. Water contaminated with potentially pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria leads to millions of death every year in under developed and developing countries. World over 4.0% of all deaths and 5.7% of all disability or ill health have their roots in poor quality water consumption; estimates reveal that contaminated drinking-water cause more than 500000 diarrhoeal deaths each year [1]. In India, during 2010-2014 contaminated water killed 13,000, Uttar Pradesh had maximum 3,382 deaths followed by West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha [2]. From 2013-2017 water-borne diseases including cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid and viral hepatitis caused 10,738 deaths and more than 69.14 million cases of illness in India and loss of 73 million working days due to water-borne diseases. Among all, the bacterial infections were at the top among waterborne infections leading to more than 68.51 million cases and 8595 deaths in 2013-17 in India [3]. To monitor drinking and recreation water quality national and international standards are in force since long. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) drinking water specification (BIS 10500:1991) was drawn up in 1983 and its revision dates in July 2010 (Amendment No. 3) maintained the ISI-IS: 2296-1982 maximum tolerance limit of 50 E. coli in 100 ml of drinking water. DOI: 10.31080/ASMI.2022.05.1139 Citation: Bhoj R Singh., et al. “Potentially Pathogenic Bacteria in Water Bodies and Drinking Water Supplies in and Around Bareilly, India". Acta Scientific Microbiology 5.9 (2022): 113-126.