EVALUATION OF BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION IN Pomadasys Jubelini: IMPACT OF PROCESSING METHODS FROM LAGOS LAGOON COMMUNITY

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the microbial load and diversity of bacterial species in the internal tissues of Grunter fish (Pomadasys jubelini) sampled from Lagos Lagoon. Twenty-five (25) fish samples of Pomadasys jubelini were aseptically collected, weighed, and measured with care. Fresh, frozen, fried, roasted, and boiled samples were then analyzed using standard microbiological techniques. The microbial load varied across the sample types: frozen samples had counts ranging from 0.9 to 1.3×10^8 cfu/g, fresh samples ranged from 8.1 to 9.9×10^8 cfu/g, fried samples showed 0.1 to 0.2×10^8 cfu/g, roasted samples ranged from 0.4 to 0.6×10^8 cfu/g, and boiled samples had counts between 0.8 and 1.0×10^8 cfu/g. The highest bacterial count was found in fresh samples (9.9×10^8 cfu/g), while the lowest was in fried samples (2.0×10^8 cfu/g). There was significant variation in the bacterial diversity with a predominance of gram-negative bacteria among the isolates. The presence of potential pathogenic bacteria in the internal tissues of these processed fish raises public health concerns, highlighting the need for strict hygienic practices during the handling and processing of fish sourced from brackish waters.