Author(s)

Shehu Abdul Qadir Zailani^1*, Mohammed Bello², Mashood Abiola Raji³, Junaidu Kabir², Suleiman Maitala Yahuza⁴

¹Department of Animal Health Technology, Bauchi State College of Agriculture, Bauchi State, Nigeria.
²Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
³Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
⁴Bacterial Zoonoses Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.

Microbial quality (MQ) of meat contact surfaces (MCS) of six major abattoirs was evaluated with a subsequent further isolation and identification of E. coli O157. Two hundred and forty 240 swab samples (SS) from MCS that include cutting equipment, floor, tables and transport media were collected for total aerobic plate count and isolation of E. coli O157. Results of the SS indicated a mean value 7.1 ± 0.3 log₁₀ cfu/cm². A minimum value of 6.4 ± 0.6 log₁₀ cfu/cm² was recorded oncutting instrument from Ningi abattoir, while a maximum value of 7.8 ± 0.3 log₁₀ cfu/cm² was obtained from tables at Darazo abattoir. Only 3 (1.2%) of the 240 SS of the MCS were positive for E. coli O157 using the latex agglutination kit (Difco, Michigan, USA).

Abattoirs, E. coli O157, Meat Contact Surfaces, Microbial Quality

Qadir Zailani, S. , Bello, M. , Abiola Raji, M. , Kabir, J. and Maitala Yahuza, S. (2016) Microbial Evaluation of Meat Contact Surfaces in Red Meat Abattoirs of Bauchi State, North-Eastern Nigeria. Open Journal of Medical Microbiology, 6, 3-8. doi: 10.4236/ojmm.2016.61002.