Microbial status of smoked fish, scombia scombia sold in Owerri, Imo state, Nigeria

As one of the common sources of protein available to man; fish is highly consumed due to its lower cholesterol content and price. So it forms a rich protein source for both poor and rich. As a part of checkmating the public health risks associated with this general dependence of the population on fish; the microbiological assessment of smoked fish; Scombia; scombia sold in Owerri was embarked on with the aim of ascertaining the microbial quality; the presence and prevalence of microorganisms of public health importance. A total of one hundred and eight (108) samples were collected from the smoking Factory; Open Market and Hawkers. These were analyzed microbiologically for viable heterotrophic bacteria and fungi count on Nutrient and Potato dextrose agar respectively; using pour plate method and coliform count in MacConkey broth by multiple tube method (MPN). The mean value results from the analysis revealed high microbial contamination in all the samples. The resultant data were analyzed statistically using randomized block design of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at 95 level of confidence and the difference were separated using the least significance difference (LSD). The mean results of viable heterotrophic bacteria and fungi count showed no significance difference for the collection sites; but the coliform mean results for the three sites showed marked variation at 95 level (P0.05). Identified bacteria; include: Staphylococcus aureus; E. coli; Bacillus sp.; Klebsiella sp.; whereas fungi are Penicillium sp.; Aspergilusl sp.; Fusarium violaceum; Biospora sp.; Candida sp; Botryodioplodia sp.; Alternania sp. This high level of microbial contamination can be traceable to handlers; and environment to which this fish is exposed during smoking and selling exercises; and considering the danger it portends to human health; public health and food safety authorities should intensify their monitoring efforts towards controlling such contamination

Health Problems Associated with Consumption of Fish and the Role of Acquatic Environments in the Transmission of Human diseases

The majority of the numerous fish parasites are harmless to man and many domestic animals because when eaten with their fish hosts; they are digested. However; some of the fish parasites with larval stages in freshwater or marine teleosts have zoonotic potential if eaten raw or partially cooked. These are usually parasites; which have a piscivorous mammalian carnivore as their normal final host and are able to infect man because of the low host specificity of the adult stage. The major groups of fish parasite that are known as potentially dangerous pathogens of man belong to the helminth groups cestoda; trematoda; nematoda and rarely acanthocephala. However; bacterial and viral disease of man transmitted through fish are not uncommon. Toxic substances; metals and insecticides used to control human diseases in aquatic environments may accumulate in fish in po1lluted waters at such levels as to constitute a health risk to the consumer. Other health problems associated with fish arise from its perishable nature for example; in adequate handling; processing and storage; which may lead to the accumulation of microbes enhancing the risk of food poisoning. The aquatic environment in Africa constitutes a breeding habitat to several vectors of human diseases such as mosquitoes; snails and black flies. This paper reviews the role played by fish in transmitting diseases to humans as well as the importance of the aquatic environments in the transmission of human diseases such as Malaria; Schistosomiasis and onchocerciasis

Etude de la valeur nutritive de trachurus-trachurus; variete maigre (Mpiodi)

Dans ce travail; les auteurs determinent la composition chimique de Trachurus-Trachurus; variete maigre; a cause de sa forte consommation comme source proteique principale au Zaire; plus particulierement a Kinshasa. Pour ce faire; differentes techniques analytiques ont ete utilisees en vue de la determination des substances chimiques essentielles suivantes: Ca; P; Na; Mg; K; K; Fe; Zn; Cu; Mn; et Co ainsi que de la valeur energetique. Le profil des constituants chimiques doses montre que le Trachurus-Trachurus; variete maigre; contient des taux relativement eleves en proteines et lipides et une valeur energetique plus elevee que bon nombre de poissons de meme espece