ISSN: 2471-9315
Hassan S, Qureshi TA
A study was carried out to investigate the bacterial load and the occurrence of potential pathogens from healthy seven fishes sold in Govindpura fish market. The skin, gills, muscles and intestine of the fish were examined. The samples were collected by swabbing aseptically over the areas of the fish and then processed for bacterial count, followed by isolation and identification of potential pathogens. Microbial load analysis revealed that the total viable count of bacteria ranged from 1.5-10.5 × 103 cfu/g. The results show that the bacterial load of samples collected from Govindpura fish markets falls within the standard microbiological acceptable limit. The biochemical identification tests of the bacterial isolates confirm the presence of the following bacteria: Aeromonas hydrophilla, Pseudomonas fluorescence, Shigella sp., Salmonella spp., Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Straphylococcos and Streptococos. This study therefore reveals the bacterial load of these fishes with a view to provide information on the state of the environment and the poor hygienic conditions of the markets.