Isolation and identification of bacteria associated with fresh and smoked fish (<i>Clarias gariepinus</i>) in Minna Metropolis, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

An in – vitro assay was conducted to ascertain and identify major bacterial contaminants of fish, which hitherto had constituted an imported dietary intake of the people of Minna Metropolis, Nigeria. Fresh and smoked fish samples were collected from three different markets, the bacterial load of the samples was determined using the pour plate method. Identification and characterization of various isolates were based on gram – staining technique and biochemical tests. Clarias gariepinus was used for the study. In – vitro assay result revealed that the samples were contaminated by six bacteria species, which include Staphyloccocus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphyloccocus epidermis, Salmonella epidermis, Salmonella typhii, Streptococcus spp. and Shigella sp. The mean bacterial load recorded in the present study was 1.84 x 10⁶ cfu/ml. and 2.06 x 10⁶ cfu/ml. for fresh fish and smoked fish respectively.