Isolation and Antibiotic Profile of Aeromonas Species from Tilapia Fish (Tilapia nilotica) and Catfish (Clarias betrachus)

Abstract

In this study, the surface and the intestinal tract of catfish and tilapia fish purchased from Makoko market, Lagos metropolis in Nigeria were analyzed for the presence of Aeromonas species and their susceptibility to antibiotics was determined. The surface and intestinal tract of the fishes were found to be contaminated with Aeromonas species (Aeromonas caviae, Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas sobria) and this is a potential risk for public health. Aeromonas caviae was predominant in tilapia fish while Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas sobria were predominant in catfish. The Aeromonas species exhibited different level of antibiotics susceptibility based on the zone of inhibition observed around the antibiotics disc. Aeromonas caviae, Aeromonas sobria and Aeromonas hydrophila were all resistant to tetracycline, nitrofurantoin and augmentin with an average zone of inhibition of 9mm, 10mm and 8mm respectively but highly susceptible to pefloxacin, ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin with an average zone of inhibition of 17 mm, 21 mm and 24 mm respectively while they were randomly susceptible to ceftriazone, gentamycin, cotrimozazole and amoxycillin. Hence, pefloxacin, ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin are suitable drugs that can be use in the treatment of Aeromonas associated infections. There is need for antibiotic susceptibility test before treatment of Aeromonas associated infection since some strains of the Aeromonas species were randomly susceptible to the some of the antibiotics.