Microbiological Evaluation and Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of Organisms Isolated from Frozen Chicken Products Sold in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Frozen chicken products contribute a large proportion of the protein needs of the average Nigerian family. Although chicken products are safe when frozen continuously and properly stored, they are easily prone to microbial contamination. However, the majority of the frozen chicken products sold in open markets are smuggled into the country in very unhygienic circumstances that make them susceptible to microbial contamination thus compromising their quality. This study, therefore, evaluated the microbiological quality of frozen chicken parts sold in Port Harcourt metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria. The objective was to isolate the microorganism(s) if any, present in the frozen chicken samples, characterize and identify them and then determine the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of the isolates. A total of two hundred chicken samples were collected from different pppmarkets and evaluated for microbial contamination using standard microbiological methods. A total of eleven isolates were obtained as follows: Escherichia coli (27.82%), Salmonella sp (13.64%), Shigella sp (4.88%), Staphylococcus aureus (18.52%), Staphylococcus species (2.92%), Bacillus subtilis (17.83%), Enterobacter species (4.15%), Micrococcus sp (1.61%), Klebsiella sp (1.84%), Proteus sp (3.07%) and Citrobacter species (3.65%). The microbial load which ranged from 1.4 - 2.4 x 102CFU/g exceeded the acceptable limit for poultry products which falls within the range of 101 - 102 CFU/g. HaveAntibiotic susceptibility profiles of the isolates were also determined using four antibiotics namely amoxicillin/clavulanate (20 µg), gentamicin (10 µg), ciprofloxacin (5 µg) and erythromycin (5 µg). Some of the isolates were resistant to these antibiotics. The unacceptable level of contamination seen in the frozen chicken parts and the non-susceptibility of many of the isolates to the commonly available antibiotics pose serious hazards to the health of the consuming public. The regulatory authorities and all agencies of government charged with safeguarding the public health need to live up to their responsibilities. Strict controls with respect to adequate and appropriate storage conditions, good sanitary practices and awareness programs should be implemented to encourage the provision of safe poultry products and minimize the emergence of antibiotic resistant organisms.