Untidiness around the lake not only degrades the aesthetic appeal but also poses a health hazard to millions of people who rely on food from aquatic ecosystems, the research has established.
Escherichia coli are germs called bacteria. They live in our environment, particularly in food, water and in the intestines of people and animals.
Although some E. coli are safe and help with digestion, vitamin production, and protection against harmful germs, others are very harmful and can cause illnesses such as diarrhoea, Pneumonia, and urinary tract infections, among others.
The untidy look around the lake has become a breeding ground for this bacteria that has since been reported as a great danger to human health.
The unkempt state of Lake Victoria and the uncontrolled dumping have largely contributed to the presence of the reported E. coli.
“Upon establishing the existence of this bacteria, I again researched the pampers that are used to cover babies. E. coli is in babies as a non-pathogen, but if it gets to our environment, it can be deadly, for instance, if it gets to open wounds, healing can be a problem”, said Dr Silas Onyango, the lead researcher.
Even though agreeing with the existence of E. coli in the body as the research postulated, Kenya Marine and Research Institute (KMRI) questioned the manner in which the research was conducted, stating that their (KEMRI’s) specialised fish researchers and inspectors who approve fish as safe for consumption before export were not involved in the research project from the onset to determine if the allegations were factual and were worth raising any alarm.
“My main agenda was to understand if the food we get from water, that is, the aquaculture, can bring us problems. Indeed, I found out that these fish can make our bodies resistant to the medicine we use from day to day”, said Dr Onyango
The research was performed on faeces and intestines from a sample of 250 fish, considering that the majority of these fish feed in a dirty environment where non-biodegradable and solid wastes are dumped.
“Of the 250 fish, Tilapia carried the day”, said Dr Onyango
Tilapia, popularly known as Ngege by locals, were 180 in total of the 250 samples. This was motivated by the fact that it (Tilapia) is preferred and largely consumed. The remaining number was divided between marbled lungfish, popularly known as Kamongo, and mudfish, popularly known as Mumi. The three respective aliases originate from the Luo community, who reside in the western parts of Kenya along the lake and are widely known for fishing.
“In this research, I found out that 15 bacteria had grown multi-drug resistant. Ciprofloxacin, the easily accessible first-class antibiotic drug, was no longer effective. Approximately 85% of the bacteria I found could no longer be suppressed because of the resistance developed”, said Dr Onyango
Pollution around the lake and drug abuse were cited as the main causes of the problem.
“Where are we supposed to dump the Pampers and diapers after use?” is a hard but important question that Dr Onyango directed to the manufacturers, citing that carelessly disposed of Pampers are swept into the lake during heavy downpours, degrade, and pollute the environment where fish feed and people eat that fish. This, he said, is a health hazard.
The fisheries statistical bulletin of 2023, released in June 2024, indicated that Inland capture fisheries contributed 72% of Kenya’s total fish production, with the principal catches coming from Lake Victoria. The sector supports about 1.5 million people, directly and indirectly, working as fishers, traders, processors, suppliers, and merchants of fishing accessories, as well as employees and their dependents.
“I want to assure everyone, those in business and consumers, that let us continue feeding on fish”, said KMRI.
With the fears of health risks reported on fish, will the consumption stop, or will the necessary measures be taken by relevant authorities to save the lives of millions, depending on this delicacy as food?
