NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT
Journal of the Faculties of Science and Agriculture, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria
ISSN: 1119-9008
DOI: 10.5987/UJ-NJSE
Email: njse@universityjournals.org
ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH IMPLICATION ASSOCIATED WITH SNAILS AND SNAIL FARM SOILS IN WARRI AND SAPELE, DELTA STATE, NIGERIA.
DOI: 10.5987/UJ-NJSE.16.008.2 | Article Number: 48F2B98 | Vol.12 (2) - September 2013
Author: Akpomie O.O
Keywords: Snails, Snail farm, Health, bacteria, fungi, antibiotics
Microbiological analysis was carried out on snail visceral mass, snail effluent and soil samples
from snail farmsAspergillus and Penicilliumspp.. The bacteria identified on the basis of morphological
characteristics and biochemical tests were similar for all the samples. Escherichia, Salmonella,
Pseudomonas, Shigella and Bacillus spp. were the bacteria isolated while the fungal isolates
were Mucor, Rhizopus, Aspergillus, Penicillium and Alternaria spp. The microbial load ranged
from 2.0x103cfu/ml to 2.8x104cfu/ml. Escherichia, Staphylococcusand Mucor spp. were isolated
in all the samples while occurred least with a frequency of 12.25%. The antibiotic sensitivity test
showed that Klebsiella and Escherichia spp. were highly resistant (100%) while the percentage
resistance of the other organisms ranged from 40-60%.All the organisms were resistant to
Chloramphenicol and Ampicillin. The total microbial counts, though lower than the specified standard
limit of 1.0x105cfu/ml may increase under unhygienic conditions which might result in health
risks.
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