Volume 19, Issue 2, December 2015, Pages 412–422
Alex Lina Aleke1, Henri Buregea2, Ukondalemba Mindele3, Mohammed Bouezmarni4, and Jean-Luc Vasel5
1 Department of Science and Environmental Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
2 Livingstone International University, Northern Division, Nabijjo Cell, Mbale, Uganda
3 Department of Science and Environmental Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
4 Department of Science and Environmental Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
5 Department of Science and Environmental Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Original language: English
Copyright © 2015 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Assessing the parasite loads in rivers crossing cities is important for identifying the potential risks for humans and livestocks, and for selecting suitable risk reduction measures. The aim of this study was to determine parasite loads in four rivers (Bwindi, Kahwa, Tshula, and Wesha) crossing the city of Bukavu and flowing to the Lake Kivu. For each of the rivers data were collected at points located upstream of the lake embouchure during 2013-2014, and analysed through a modified Bailenger method. Our results showed that all the rivers were characterized by a rather high TDS content, an alkalinity above 7.7 and temperatures above 22°C, on average. Moreover, a diversity of parasites including nematodes, cestodes, protozoa and trematodes, was observed: Entamoeba coli, Ascaris sp., Hymenolepis diminuta, Taenia saginata, Giardia lamblia, Ankylostoma sp., Strongyloides stercoralis, Schistosoma mansoni, Entomoeba histolytica, Hymenolepis nana, and Trichuris trichura. Nematodes represented the most common parasites in Kahwa, Tshula and Wesha rivers (57% to 71% of species recorded), while cestodes were predominant in Bwindi river (77% of species recorded). Additionally, high parasite loads were observed during the rainy season. The results highlight the health risks to people who use water from these rivers for various needs (bathing, irrigation, dishes, and laundry). The use of the modified method of Bailenger would be of great interest for the characterization of urban waste waters and the promotion of public health because of the simplicity of its implementation and its low cost.
Author Keywords: Parasite, pollution, river, Bwindi, Kahwa, Tshula, Wesha.
Alex Lina Aleke1, Henri Buregea2, Ukondalemba Mindele3, Mohammed Bouezmarni4, and Jean-Luc Vasel5
1 Department of Science and Environmental Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
2 Livingstone International University, Northern Division, Nabijjo Cell, Mbale, Uganda
3 Department of Science and Environmental Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
4 Department of Science and Environmental Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
5 Department of Science and Environmental Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Original language: English
Copyright © 2015 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Assessing the parasite loads in rivers crossing cities is important for identifying the potential risks for humans and livestocks, and for selecting suitable risk reduction measures. The aim of this study was to determine parasite loads in four rivers (Bwindi, Kahwa, Tshula, and Wesha) crossing the city of Bukavu and flowing to the Lake Kivu. For each of the rivers data were collected at points located upstream of the lake embouchure during 2013-2014, and analysed through a modified Bailenger method. Our results showed that all the rivers were characterized by a rather high TDS content, an alkalinity above 7.7 and temperatures above 22°C, on average. Moreover, a diversity of parasites including nematodes, cestodes, protozoa and trematodes, was observed: Entamoeba coli, Ascaris sp., Hymenolepis diminuta, Taenia saginata, Giardia lamblia, Ankylostoma sp., Strongyloides stercoralis, Schistosoma mansoni, Entomoeba histolytica, Hymenolepis nana, and Trichuris trichura. Nematodes represented the most common parasites in Kahwa, Tshula and Wesha rivers (57% to 71% of species recorded), while cestodes were predominant in Bwindi river (77% of species recorded). Additionally, high parasite loads were observed during the rainy season. The results highlight the health risks to people who use water from these rivers for various needs (bathing, irrigation, dishes, and laundry). The use of the modified method of Bailenger would be of great interest for the characterization of urban waste waters and the promotion of public health because of the simplicity of its implementation and its low cost.
Author Keywords: Parasite, pollution, river, Bwindi, Kahwa, Tshula, Wesha.
How to Cite this Article
Alex Lina Aleke, Henri Buregea, Ukondalemba Mindele, Mohammed Bouezmarni, and Jean-Luc Vasel, “Parasitological loads of rivers crossing the city of Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo,” International Journal of Innovation and Scientific Research, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 412–422, December 2015.
