Molecular Characterization of Bacteria Isolated from Some Seafoods in Nembe Community, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Abstract

The quest for better food quality has invariably increased cases of food-borne infections which in turn contribute to the problem of antibiotic resistance as a result of drug abuse. This study is aimed at characterizing bacterial isolates from some seafood sold in Nembe, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. A total of 200 fresh seafood samples (crab, shrimp, oyster and periwinkle) were collected randomly from Nembe, Bayelsa State. Isolates were obtained using the conventional microbiological methods and the pure cultures were screened by gram staining and biochemical test for preliminary identification. Isolates were further characterized for 16SrRNA using Polymerase Chain Reaction and Sequencing. The most dominant species isolated were Staphylococcus gallinarum 27(22.5%), Vibrio rotiferanus 17(14.2%), Vibrio parahaemolyticus 48(40%), Klebsiella aerogenes 10(8.3%) and Klebsiella quasipneumoniae 18(15%). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) by single factor was done to determine the variation in colony counts of isolates from the different seafood samples and P value was > 0.05 indicating that there is no significant difference in colony counts among the different sea foods. The presence of these bacterial species in these seafood samples renders the food unsafe for consumption. Adequate handling as well as proper cooking of seafood before consumption is highly recommended so as to reduce the incidence of food-borne infections.