BACTERIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION OF TRADITIONAL CASKS (ZEERS) AND ELECTRICAL COOLERS IN POST-WAR KHARTOUM STATE, SUDAN

Acute microbial diarrheal diseases are a major public health problem in developing countries. This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at Khartoum State, Sudan to isolate and identify bacteria that are present in traditional casks (Zeers) and electrical coolers in Khartoum State.  Two hundred samples of water were taken from casks (zeer) and electrical coolers for drinking water. Total number of 200 samples from different sources were investigated during the study. A total of 105 samples (52.5%) revealed no growth; while 95 samples (47.5%) revealed positive growth under aerobic condition. Among the 95 positive samples monomicrobial isolates have been detected in 76 samples (80%) whereas 19 samples (20 %) showed two organisms per sample. Microbiological culture isolated (119) bacterial isolates with an average of 1.25 organisms per positive culture.
In this study, it has been indicated that public water stands (zeer) are the most vulnerable drinking water source to bacterial contamination in the study area when compared to electrical drinking water coolers.