Microbiological water quality of the Mfoundi River watershed at Yaoundé, Cameroon, as inferred from indicator bacteria of fecal contamination.

Using the membrane filtration technique to count total coliform (TC), fecal coliform (FC) and fecal streptococci (FS), the microbiological water quality of the Mfoundi River and four of its representative tributaries at Yaoundé, Cameroon, was assessed for human use and contact. Sampling was conducted so as to examine the potential origin of fecal contamination and how rainfall affects the measured concentrations of indicators organisms. Our results revealed that waters were not safe for human use or primary contact according to the standards for water quality established by the Word Health Organization (WHO). Indeed, these waters exhibited high concentrations of TC (Mean +/- SD = 5.6 x 10(8) +/- 2.5 x 10(6) CFU/100 ml), FC (Mean +/- SD = 6.8 x 10(5) +/- 2.4 x 10(3) CFU/100 ml) and FS (Mean +/- SD = 7.3 x 10(5) +/- 2.1 x 10(3) CFU/100 ml) that varied with the sampling sites and points. FC/FS ratio suggested that this contamination was more from warm-blooded animals than humans and correlation analysis points to the role of rainfall as a contributing factor, which enhanced the bacterial numbers detected. We conclude that there is a great potential risk of infection for users of waters from the Mfoundi River and its tributaries at Yaoundé.