HEAVY METAL CONTENT, BACTERIOLOGY AND ANTIBIOGRAM OF BACCINUM UNDATUM (WHELKS) SOLD WITHIN IKOT EKPENE L.G.A.

ABSTRACT The increasing contamination of seafoods along with evolving antimicrobial resistant strains of microbes has become a global health concern, since this seafoods and fishes in particular are usually laden with both organic, inorganic and microbial contaminants. Microbiology and antibiogram analysis and antibiogram was carried out using standard microbiological and biochemical techniques and the heavy metal was analyzed using standard analytical techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility was performed using Kirby-Bauer techniques. The result of the study revealed that the total bacterial counts ranged from 2.2×104 to 3.2×104 cfu/g, with isolates identified as Escherichia spp. (17.7%), Aeromonas spp. (27.8%), Bacillus spp. (21.5%), and Pseudomonas spp. (32.9%). Antibiotic susceptibility testing showed that bacteria isolates were sensitive to gentamicin, levofloxacin, sparfloxaxin, and ceftazidine and resistant to azithromycin, amoxicillin and streptomycin. Heavy metal analysis revealed elevated levels of cadmium (2.141 mg/100 g), chromium (5.385 mg/100 g), lead (0.878 mg/100 g), and arsenic (1.079 mg/100 g), all exceeding FAO/WHO (2011) permissible limits. This result portrays the extent of microbial and heavy metal contamination of Baccinum undatum samples within Ikot Ekpene. The high microbial load, resistance patterns, and heavy metal accumulation indicate that Baccinum undatum from the study area can pose significant public health risks to consumers.