Abstract:
Abattoir wastes comprise of several pollutants and pathogens which could result in public health risks. Hence, this study investigated the bacteriological profiling of some abattoir environments (Odo-Owa abattoir market, Idanre, Ondo State semi-mechanized market, Akure and Onyearugbulem abattoir market, Akure) in Ondo State. Soil samples were collected from five different functional areas of the abattoir to make composite sample while sterile plates containing nutrient agar (NA), blood agar (BA) and McConkey agar (MA) were exposed at three different points of the abattoir environment. Culturing of soil samples was done using serial dilution and pour plate technique. Total bacterial count and presumptive identification of isolates was done using morphological and biochemical characteristics. In Odo-owa soil sample, the mean bacteria count ranged from 23.33±1.20 to 43.33±3.33 cfu/g on NA, 7.33±1.20 to 19.00±1.52 on BA. Also, mean bacteria counts from semi mechanized abattoir ranged from 24.00±1.15 to 25.33±4.91 cfu/g on NA, 28.00±3.60 to 86.67±2.85 cfu/g on BA. For air samples, Odo-owa had 250.00±00 bacterial count at all the points (entrance, middle, end) on BA. Seventeen (17) bacteria species were isolated, and they include Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas sp, Arthrobacter sp, Lactobacillus sp, Clostridium botulinum, Listeria monocytogenes, Corynebacterium sp, Aeromonas hydrophila, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Flavobacterium ferrugineum, Micrococcus luteus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. The high microbial counts coupled with the identification of some pathogenic bacteria such as Lactobacillus sp, Listeria monocytogenes, Corynebacterium sp, Clostridium botulinum, and Proteus mirabilis are of public health concern.
