EFFECTS OF COOKING ON BACTERIOLOGY OF SHELLED AND DESHELLED TYMPANOTONUS FUSCATUS AND ANTIBIOGRAM OF ISOLATES

This study was aimed at determining the effect of cooking on the bacteriology of shelled and deshelled Tympanotonus fuscatus and antibiogram of the isolates. Tympanotonus fuscatus samples were obtained from Ikot Osurua market and divided into four groups and labelled: P1 (deshelled, washed and rinsed in water), P2 (shelled, washed and rinsed in water), P3 (deshelled, washed and boiled), P4 (shelled washed and boiled). Samples from all four groups were homogenized serially diluted and inoculated onto nutrient agar (NA) for Total Heterotrophic Bacterial Count, Eosin methylene blue agar (EMB) for Total Coliform Count, and Thiosulphate citrate bile salts agar (TCBS) for Total Vibro Count using pour plate method. Samples were subsequently incubated at 37oC for 24 hours after which microbiological characterization and identification and determination of antibacterial susceptibility using disc diffusion technique was done. Results showed bacterial count of 9.6x106, 1.71x109, 4.3x106 and 5.7x106 cfu/g on NA, 3.2x106, 1.00x109, 1.1x106 and 8.3x108 cfu/g on EMB and 1.1x106, 3.9x108, 0.6x106 and 2.5x107 on TCBS for P1, P2, P3 and P4 respectively. Bacterial isolates identified were; Bacillus sp, Pseudomonas sp, Enterobacter sp, Klebsiella sp, Proteus sp, Vibrio sp, Staphylococcus sp with percentage occurrence of 18.3%, 17.0%, 15.5%, 15.1%, 12.2%, 11.0% and 10.4% respectively. The study showed that cooking drastically reduced the bacterial count of the samples. Antibiogram analysis revealed Staphylococcus sp and Bacillus sp as sensitive to streptomycin, gentamycin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin and levofloxacin but resistance to norfloxacin and rifampicin, while all Gram-negative bacteria were sensitive to ciprofloxacin and augmentin but resistant to other antibiotics. Total bacterial counts in uncooked Tympanotonus fuscatus were above WHO and ICMF permissible limits (