Vol. 14 No. 87-96 (2023): OCCURRENCE OF GEO-PARASITES IN WATER SOURCES FROM NASSARAWA EGGON LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA

The presence of good consumable water is a vital resource essentially needed in every given community. Hence, the needs to ensure that water are of good quality and safe at all times for consumption and usage. Therefore, this study investigated the composition of geo-parasites in water sources from Nasarawa Eggon L.G.A of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. A total of 60 water samples were collected respectively from ponds, streams, well and boreholes between the months of March and April, 2022 and physicochemical parameters determined in sites. The Formalin concentration method was employed to microscopically examine the water samples for the presence of parasites egg, cyst and larvae. A total of 32 water samples were found positive for protozoan, nematodes and cestodes. The protozoan E. histolitica (66.3%) recorded the highest contamination while the cestodes(6.12%) were the least encountered parasites. Parasite prevalence was significantly (P = 0.0001) higher in water around the streams (57.14%) while the boreholes recorded zero contamination. The average values of the physicochemical parameters of the water sources were found to have fallen below the permissible limits of WHO and NSDWQ except for pH. The high contamination of parasites in streams suggests that individuals utilizing such water source for domestic usage are at greater risk of water-borne diseases. Since the water from boreholes was observed to record a zero parasite as well as a low parasite from the surrounding soil, it is therefore recommended that more boreholes should be constructed to enable access to safe and good quality water to the inhabitants of the study areas. Also, sensitization on the need to boil water sourced from streams and pond before drinking is here by recommended.