The significance of water in public health cannot be overemphasized. In Nigeria, many people living along the courses of water bodies still source and drink from the rivers and streams. There is, therefore, the need to determine the load of contamination and effect of pH and salinity on the decay rate of enteric bacteria in water samples from River Owena, Owena, Nigeria, in order to develop adequate water quality management. Water samples from River Owena were collected from three sampling points (inflow, middle course and the outflow) along the River Owena, Nigeria. The load of enteric bacteria in the water samples was enumerated using membrane filtration technique. The physicochemical parameters of the water samples were determined using standard methods. The incidence and prevalence of gastroenteritis in the community around River Owena was determined using a structured questionnaire. Microcosm studies were used to determine the decay rate of enteric bacteria at varying salinity and pH. Canonical correlation analysis was used to describe the relationship between the load of enteric bacteria and the incidence and prevalence of gastroenteritis in the community around River Owena. The incidence and prevalence of gastroenteritis in the community around River Owena were estimated to be 0.75 and 0.51, respectively. Escherichia coli had positive relationships with incidence (r = 0.76) and prevalence (r = 0.65). Similarly, faecal coliforms had positive relationships with incidence (r = 0.82) and prevalence of gastroenteritis (r = 0.67), while enterococci showed positive relationship with incidence (r = 0.59) and prevalence of gastroenteritis (r = 0.87). Increase in pH and salinity increased the decay rate of enteric bacteria thereby reducing the growth of enteric bacteria, the optimum pH for the growth and survival of enteric bacteria ranged between pH 5.0 and pH 7.0. The optimum salinity for the growth of enteric bacteria isolated in water samples from River Owena ranged between 10 and 50% salinity. Findings revealed high levels of faecal contamination at the different representative monitoring points on River Owena, pH and salinity influenced the load and decay rate of enteric bacteria in water from River Owena.

水对公共卫生的重要性怎么强调都不为过。在尼日利亚，许多生活在水体沿岸的人们仍然从河流和溪流中获取和饮用。因此，需要确定尼日利亚奥韦纳河奥韦纳河水样中的污染负荷以及 pH 值和盐度对肠道细菌腐烂率的影响，以便开展适当的水质管理。奥韦纳河的水样是从尼日利亚奥韦纳河沿线的三个采样点（流入、中流和流出）采集的。使用膜过滤技术计算水样中肠道细菌的含量。使用标准方法测定水样的物理化学参数。使用结构化调查问卷确定了欧韦纳河周围社区胃肠炎的发病率和患病率。微观世界研究用于确定肠道细菌在不同盐度和 pH 值下的腐烂率。采用典型相关分析来描述欧韦纳河周边社区肠道细菌负荷与胃肠炎发病率和患病率之间的关系。欧韦纳河周围社区的胃肠炎发病率和患病率估计分别为 0.75 和 0.51。大肠杆菌与发病率 ( r  = 0.76) 和患病率 ( r  = 0.65)呈正相关。同样，粪大肠菌群与胃肠炎的发病率（r  = 0.82）和患病率（r  = 0.67）呈正相关，而肠球菌与胃肠炎的发病率（r  = 0.59）和患病率（r  = 0.87）呈正相关。 pH和盐度的增加增加了肠道细菌的腐烂速度，从而减少了肠道细菌的生长，肠道细菌生长和生存的最适pH范围为pH 5.0至pH 7.0。从欧文纳河水样中分离出的肠道细菌生长的最佳盐度范围为 10% 至 50%。调查结果显示，欧韦纳河不同代表性监测点的粪便污染程度较高，pH 值和盐度影响了欧韦纳河水中肠道细菌的含量和腐烂率。