Microbial Loads of Beef and Hygienic Practice of Butchers in Jos Municipal Abattoir

Abstract

The microbial loads of processed beef in Jos abattoir were investigated in this study, as well as the hygiene practices of butchers. Fresh beef samples were randomly collected from Jos-south abattoir, Plateau State, Nigeria. A total of twenty samples were collected in a separate sample bag. They were kept in cool box filled with ice and transported to the microbiology laboratory of Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology (FCAH&PT), National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Nigeria for analyses. Meat samples weighing one gram each were grinded to fine particles using mortar and pestles and mixed with the normal saline solution to make 10 milliliters and diluted serially into ten test tubes. One milliliter of inoculum was taken from the test tube using sterile pipette and poured into sterile Petri dish. 20 milliliters of sterile nutrient agar was poured into each sterile Petri dish, distributed and mixed evenly. The Petri dishes with molten inoculated media were allowed to solidify. All samples inoculated in nutrient agar were incubated at 37ºC for 24 hours in order to get the viable bacterial counts. Petri dishes containing 30 - 300 colonies on nutrient agar plate were selected. These were counted using colony counter, enumerated and expressed in CFU/g/ml of meat samples from every location respectively. Incubated nutrient agar plates were examined for yellow and amber growth. Isolates were examined microscopically using Gram staining procedure for Gram- positive cocci in clusters. These suggested the presence of Staphylococcus species. The incubated Eosin Methylene blue agar (EMB Agar) plates were examined for characteristic dark centered greenish and translucent colorless amber growth which suggest the presence of Escherichia coli, and translucent, amber colored or colorless growth which suggest the presence of Salmonella or Shigella species. The isolates were examined microscopically using Gram-staining procedure for Gram-negative straight short rods which suggested the presence of Escherichia coli and Gram-negative long rods which suggests the presence of Salmonella and Shigella species. The growth on Mac-Conkey plates were examined for pink colonies for Escherichia coli which is a lactose fermenter and amber colonies for Salmonella or Shigella species. The incubated Salmonella-Shigella agar plates were examined for colourless colony with black centered growth which suggest the presence of Salmonella species (hydrogen sulphite producing bacteria), pink growth which suggests the presence of Escherichia coli (lactose fermenter) and colorless colony which suggests the presence of Shigella species (non-lactose fermenter and non-hydrogen sulphite producing bacteria). The biochemical characteristics were carried out according to the method described by [14,15]. Escherichia coli had the highest percentage load of 34.1%, Salmonella spp. with 31.8%, Staphylococcus aureus had 20.5% and Shigella spp. had 13.6%. To ascertain the hygiene level of butchers in the abattoir, a total of 50 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to abattoir attendants/butchers in Jos-south Local Government and 43 out of this where retrieved. The response of 86% was considered sufficient for analysis in this study. This study captured the general information on the respondents such as gender, age and educational status. In this case, all the respondents (100%) were males with age range 18-44 years.