ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF BACTERIA FOUND IN ABATTOIR EFFLUENT IN BENIN CITY

ABSTRACT

Potential health risks from waterborne pathogens can exist in water contaminated by abattoir effluents, runoff from feedlots, dairy farms, grazed pastures, fallow, grassland treated with dairy manure, and sewage sludge treated land. This study was aimed at evaluating the bacterial contamination found in abattoir waste water in Benin City. Such contamination of water bodies from abattoir wastes could be a major source of environmental and public health hazards. Abattoir effluents used in this study was obtained from Ikpoba slope in Benin City. Standard bacteriological methods were used to determine the total bacterial count of the effluents using pour plate methods after serial dilution. The bacterial isolates were characterized and identified using morphological and biochemical methods. The percentage distribution and frequency of the isolates were evaluated using statistical method From the result the total heterotrophic bacterial count ranged from 8.5±6.5 x105 cfu/ml – 28.95±0.5x105 cfu/ml while the coliform count range from 2.95±4.5 x103 cfu/ml – 5.25±4.5 x103 cfu/ml. Using cultural and morphological method, the bacterial isolates obtained in this study were Enterobacter sp, Salmonella sp, Bacillus sp, E. coli and Citrobacter sp. From the pathogenicity test conducted, all isolates except salmonella typhi were positive to DNase test, Escherichia coli and salmonella sp were also gamma hemolysis isolates while others were beta hemolysis. All isolates from this study were gelatinase negative, however the positive result of most of the isolates to virulence test revealed its pathogenicity and risk to animals and humans as well. The antibiotic sensitivity test in this study revealed that all isolates were susceptible to only two antibiotics namely ciprofloxacin and gentamicin and partially augmentin but were resistance to colistin , metronidazole, tetracycline and clindamycin. Going by international standard, any water contaminated to this level is neither good for domestic use nor is it supposed to be discharged directly into the environment without treatment.