INTRODUCTION
Marine recreational waters are the top chosen destinations most likely during the hot season. Such venue offers relaxing and comforting feeling to ease the warm surroundings. However, it has reported that some of the recreational waters poses risks through exposure to heavy metal contaminations, fecal contaminations, and most are bacterial or moneran contamination. Not surprisingly, this impurities present in the marine waters especially those for recreation may bring series of potential and health risk and may affect portion of ecosystem components and diversities. This study aims to identify the present bacterial pathogens present in the marine recreational coastal at Balayan Batangas and determine the possible health risks among tourist and locales living the coastal thus serve as an input for a proposed health education and prevention plan.
METHODS
This study is a qualitative-experimental in design. Qualitatively, as the researchers solicited data through interviews using a focused group discussion method among experts and medical practitioners who identified the health risks brought by the laboratory- examined monerans present in the coastal. It is experimental as the researchers with the aid of laboratory and testing center assessed the bacterial pathogens. The researchers collected the water samples in upstream, middle stream and downstream level while the Medical Center Western Batangas located at Balayan Batangas piloted the laboratory procedures employing the gram statin technique and bacteria culture and sensitivity technique.
RESULTS
The findings of the MCWB laboratory department using the gram stain technique revealed no monerans in upstream, middle stream and downstream level of the Balayan Coastal. While, using the bacteria culture and sensitivity technique showed the presence of Fecal coliform, (E. coli), Shigella spp., Salmonella spp., and Enterobacter spp. from the samples. The experts and medical practitioners expressed that those particular bacteria or monerans may bring dysentery, acute gastroenteritis, urinary tract infection, intraabdominal infections, high fever and abdominal cramps, mucoid diarrhea, typhoid fever and salmonellosis, bacteremia, respiratory tract infection, skin and soft tissue infection, septic arthritis and ophthalmic infections.
DISCUSSIONS
The findings of the study showed series of alarming monerans present in the recreational coastal of Balayan Batangas. The medical experts identified the potential health risk it may bring among the tourist and locales of Balayan. Such monerans, once ingested while having relaxation, or while consuming contaminated fish or shellfish harvested from the contaminated coastal may harm numbers of people and may suffer from different skin diseases up to self-limited infection up to contagious illnesses. The results of the study mar serve as basis among the Local Government Unit and Non-Government Organizations and Nature Advocates in Balayan Batangas and nearby to have a rapid response to address the moneran contamination of the marine recreational coastal of Balayan Batangas.
Keywords: monerans, bacterial contamination, Balayan Coastal, recreational, infection, fecal