Safety Concerns on Microbes Associated with Fresh and Smoked Fish Sold in Igbokoda Fish Market, Nigeria

Fishes are important source of food for human globally because man gets a lot of minerals, vitamins, lipids and proteins from fishes and theirs products. Microbiological quality of fish is important to public health as indicative parameters to ensure safe consumption of fish by man. This study was carried out in order to evaluate microbes associated with fresh and smoked fishes on sales at Igbokoda fish market and their antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. Ten different fresh and smoked fish samples were collected from different fish-sellers at different selling points in Igbokoda fish market, aseptically using sterile containers. Samples from the skin, intestine and gill were obtained and cultured into three different media (MacConkey Agar, Nutrient Agar, Salmonella-Shigella Agar) for bacteria isolation and characterization. Other samples from the skin, intestine and gill were also cultured into Potato Dextrose Agar for fungal isolation and characterization. After 48 hours, on examination the total bacterial counts obtained from the skin, intestine and gill ranged between 2.4 to 8.7 x 106 cfu/ml while the total fungal counts ranged between 4.6 to 9.2 x 104 cfu/ml. Highest microbial load was obtained from the skin of the fish samples (7.2 x 106 cfu/ml), while the gill had the lowest microbial load (4.6 x 104 cfu/ml). The bacteria species isolated from the fish samples and their percentage of occurrence were; Aeromonas hydrophilia (11.2%), Bacillus species (6.8%), Citrobacter freundii (3.3%), Escherichia coli (23.2%), Enterobacter cloacae (6.1%), Enterococcus faecalis (6.5%), Listeria monocytogenes (4.5%), Pseudomonas aeroginosa (8.2%), Salmonella species (10.2%), Staphylococcus aureus (16.5%) and Streptococcus species (3.5%). The fungi isolated and their percentage of occurrence were; Penicillium species (16.2%), Aspergillus flavus (8.4%), Aspergillus niger (25.5%), Candida species (16.4%), Fusarium species (6.5%), Mucor species (8.6%), Rhodotorula species (7.2%) and Rhizopus stolonifer (11.2%). Antibiotics susceptibility testing showed that all bacteria isolates were susceptible to Chloramphenicol, Ciprofloxacin, Augmentin, and Amoxillin. While Salmonella species, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus species showed strong resistance to Septrin, Gentamycin and Streptomycin but intermediate susceptible to Erythromycin, Ampiclox, and Tetracycline. The antifungal susceptibility testing of the fungal isolated from fish samples showed that all the isolates were susceptible to all the antifungal agents used except Candida species that showed little resistance to clotrimazole. The study showed that microbial loads in the fish samples were low and, also there was no presence of multidrug resistant bacteria in sampled fish; therefore the fishes were safe for consumption. Although, it is recommended that good processing method should be adopted by fish handlers to prevent health risks to the fish consumers.