अमूर्त

Prevalence of Shigella sp. in Dodo-Ikire (An over-riped plantain based-snack) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.

Okanlawon Taiwo*

Foodborne illnesses are one of the major problems associated with contaminated foods due to their processing. Dodo-Ikire is indigenous to Ikire in Osun state and is a ready to eat plantain based snack prepared, packaged and sold in different areas including Ile-Ife. This study evaluated the bacterial content of twenty samples of Dodo-Ikire sold randomly around Ile-Ife. Plate count with Nutrient Agar (NA) and culture methods using Shigella Salmonella Agar (SSA) was used for evaluation. Also, an antibiotics sensitivity test was carried out on the identified isolates. The antibiotics used includes; Ciprofloxacin (5 μg), Ceftazidime (30 μg), Nitrofurantoin (300 μg), Augmentin (30 μg), Ofloxacin (5 μg), Cefixime (5 μg), Gentamicin (10 μg), Cefuroxime (30 μg). Sixteen bacterial isolates were obtained from the samples. Plate count revealed that the bacterial load of the samples ranged from 2.60 × 10⁷ cfu/ml to 9.00 × 10⁹ cfu/ml. According to the results of the biochemical test, four genera of bacteria were identified: Shigella sp. (82%), Klebsiella sp. (6%), Salmonella sp. (6%) and Escherichia coli (6%) with Shigella sp. having the highest incidence. The most effective antibiotics were Gentamicin and Cefixime, which were effective against all the bacterial isolates. The least effective was Ceftazidime as all bacterial isolates were resistant to it. This study shows that Dodo-Ikire sold in Ife and its environment is contaminated with one or more bacteria because of the unhygienic practices surrounding its processing, storage and packaging which can pose health risks to the consumers. This study recommends maintenance of the standard hygienic procedure for the preparation, package and handling of foods.