ISOLATION OF HELICOBACTER PYLORI FROM DRINKING WATER AND VEGETABLES SOLD IN ABA NORTH L.G.A, ABIA STATE

The isolation of Helicobacter pylori from drinking water and vegetables sold in Aba North ocal Government Area was determined using standard microbiological procedures. In this tudy, 6 out of the 20 water (bottled and tap) samples were found to be contaminated with [elicobacter pylori using the current method. Bottled water had the lowest positive occurrences for Helicobacter pylori; out of 10 samples of bottled water analyzed 1 sample was found to be ontaminated with Helicobacter pylori. While the highest occurrence of Helicobacter pylori was corded against tap water samples, which revealed that 50% of the tap water analyzed were ontaminated with Helicobacter pylori. Occurrence of Helicobacter pylori in vegetable samples lowed that seven(7) samples out of twenty (20) were found to be infested with Helicobacter vlori. Pumpkin (3) had the least number of infected samples. Cabbage (4) had the highest amber of infected samples. Occurrence of Helicobacter pylori in vegetables in relation to cation in table 4.3, showed that vegetables displayed at the floor level had the highest ercentage (57%) occurrence of Helicobacter pylori infestation. This is followed by vegetables the table top near drainage (29%). The least percentage occurrence (14%) of H.pylori was corded against vegetables displayed 2 meters away from drainage. The presence of elicobacter pylori in tap water and vegetables is a direct consequence of the lack in assessing to table water, poor hygiene practices, which all became consequence of a low socioeconomic background.