Bacteriological Quality of Water Supplies Utilized in Abattoirs Located in Benin City, Ekpoma and Auchi Municipalities n Edo State, Mid-Western Nigeria http://www.doi.org/10.26538/tjnpr/v7i1.27

Abstract

Slaughtering and sanitation activities within abattoirs in Edo State are entirely dependent on a steady supply of presumed clean water. These sources include; groundwater, surface water and precipitation. The heterotrophic, total coliform and Escherichia coli counts of sampled raw water supplies used by fifteen slaughter-houses in Benin City, Ekpoma and Auchi municipalities was determined using routine procedures which included serial dilution and multiple tube methods. Duplicate water samples were collected from each establishment once monthly for a period of two seasons (November, 2019, April to August 2020, February to March, 2021). The mean bacteriological counts were subjected to one-way ANOVA and Duncan multiple range tests at 95% probability level. Seasonal variations were analyzed using Mann Whitney test (α = 0.05).The overall mean heterotrophic bacterial and total coliform counts ranged from 9.0 × 104 ± 8746 cfu/ml to 1.7 × 105 ± 13422 cfu/ml, 1.7 × 105 ± 19957 cfu/ml and 1.7 × 105 ± 5247 cfu/ml and 83 ± 52 MPN/100 ml to 176 ± 5.2 MPN/100 ml. The variations in these mean values were statistically significant (F=9.275, F=3.664, p<0.05). Eight bacterial isolates were tentatively identified and they include; E. coli, Acinetobacter sp., Bacillus sp., Klebsiella mobilis, Micrococcus sp. Citrobacter sp., Serratia marcescens, Enterobacter sp. and Staphylococcus aureus. The detection of coliforms rendered the raw water unfit for both carcass preparation and sanitation purposes by the respective establishments.