Bacteriological Assessment of Fresh Crayfish (Macro Brachium Vollenhovenii) Handlers and River Samples from Asejire Dam Ikire Osun State Nigeria

The study was conducted to find out the comparative analysis of microbial loads of freshwater crayfish, handlers and river samples isolated from Ikire, Osun state. The bacteriological study showed that most of the bacteria isolated were normal microflora of fresh Crayfish and microorganisms associated with contamination from handlers, faecal contaminant and waste discharge into the water body. The bacteria isolated and there percentage of occurrence in the course of these study are as follows: Micrococcus luteus (4.3%), Alcaligenes latus (4.3%), Citrobacter diverticus (4.3%), Listeria grayi (4.3%), Bacillus cereus (4.3%), Citrobacter freundii (4.3%), Proteus vulgaris (4.3%), Salinicoccus roseus (4.3%), Marinococcus hispanicus (4.3%), Morganella morganii (4.3%), Micrococcus halobius (4.3%), Alteromonas espejiana (4.3%), Corynebacterium cystitidis (4.3%), Listeria mesenteroides (4.3%), Micrococcus varians (4.3%), Salmonella choleraesuis (4.3%), Vibrio cholera (8.6%), Staphylococcus aureus (13.0%), Marinococcus halophilus (4.3%) and Klebsiella planticola (4.3%). In this research work, Staphylococcus aureus is most predominant among other bacteria. Statistically, freshwater crayfish samples have the highest microbial load followed by the river sample and Handlers. The exposed samples have the lowest Colony Forming Unit followed by the refrigerated samples. It is hereby recommended that fresh crayfish should be properly and effectively preserved at temperature 4°C or smoking and handled properly to prevent it from contamination. And proper hygienic measure should be carried out during and after aqua farming of fresh crayfish to avoid faecal contaminant such as Cholera and septicaemia. Crayfish should be properly cooked before consumption. For instance, proper cooking of crayfish can help to kill psychrophilic microbes such as Staphylococcus.