Microbiology of pond ecosystems in rural Bangladesh: its public health implications

In rural Bangladesh various components of four ponds, including aquatic plants, snails, water, oysters, and sediment were studied for faecal contamination for three years, from July 1994, to June 1997. Faecal coliform counts ranged from 2.80–5.45, 2.95–5.64, 1.49–2.05, 2.51–4.60 and 1.30–3.15 log10cfu/gm or ml in plant, snail, water, oyster and sediment samples respectively during the study period. Snail and sediment samples showed highest and lowest counts, respectively. All components of the studied ponds included in this study yielded coliform counts higher than the accepted limit for potability and domestic use, as recommended by the WHO. Therefore these ponds have a high potential for transmission of diarrhoeal and other water‐borne diseases.