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This study examined the physico-chemical and microbiological profile of bacterial and fungal isolates of Ikpoba River between February 2013 and March 2013. The mean bacterial count for upstream water sample obtained in February was 2 × 10 2 ±1 cfu/ml while 1.09 × 10 4 ±3.6 was the count for treated industrial effluent sample collected in March. The mean fungal counts for the downstream water sample in February was 2 ×10 2 ±1 cfu/ml while the count collected at the point of discharge of effluent into the river in March was 2.0 ×10 3 ±7 cfu/ml. There was a significant statistical difference observed in the mean bacterial and fungal counts (P<0.05). The total coliform counts recorded for samples obtained from downstream was 2 MPN/105 ml while 20 MP/ 105 ml was for sample collected at the point of effluent discharge respectively. Several bacterial and fungal genera were isolated from the River water samples. Water samples collected upstream and downstream points on the river were colorless while samples collected at the point of effluent discharge were light brown in color. The mean pH, turbidity and conductivity of the respective samples ranged from 5.63±0.05 to 6.78±0.05, 4.1±0.21 to 6.81±0.55 NTU and 3.3±0.25 to 73.3±6.56 µs/cm. The biological oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved oxygen (DO) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) varied from 2.6±0.5 to 305.19±43.2 mg/l, 5.5±0.3 to 6.1±0.6 mg/l and 15.8±0.6 to 883.8±28.5 mg/l respectively. The quality of Ikpoba River is being negatively impacted by the disposal of effluent as well as human activities around the area rendering the water unsafe for consumption.

Poultry waste are not properly disposed and most rural farmers make use of it as manure therefore poultry wastes may serve as source of enteric organism capable of infecting humans. The antibiotic resistance from these bacteria can be transferred to natural microbial community as a result of involvement of antibiotics in poultry farming. This research was carried out to assess the multidrug resistant pattern of enteric bacteria in poultry stool dropping. samples of poultry droppings were obtained from a free-range commercial poultry farm in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Samples were cultured on selective and differential media. 16 isolates of enteric bacteria were obtained from poultry stool droppings. The isolates identified were of four genera. Salmonella species which is predominant 6(37%) followed by Escerichia coli 5(31%) Proteus species 3(19%) and Kiebsiella species 2(13%). Antibiotic susceptibility testing was carried out using the disk diffusion technique. Gram negative antibiotics including crioxacin cefprozil, nitrofuration, ceftazidime co-trimoxazole, genetamicin, cefuroximo. The resistant pattern in among the gram negative pathogens revealed that more than 98% were resistant to nitrofuratioin cefprozil, gentamicin and augumentin while 12.89% resistant to certazidime, 90.10% resistant to augmentin, 15.32% cefuroxime, 12.30% co-trimoxazole, 38.17% resistant to gentamicin, 15.20% resistant to cefprozil and 50.20% resistant to ofloxacin, Multidrug resistance species were isolated from poultry stool dropping and some of the bacterial isolates are potentially pathogenic to humans and animals and therefore poses a serious threat to public health.

Meat and meat products are a very important category of food consumed widely to meet the nutritional requirements of humans. Due to the high nutrient and moisture content of meat, they readily support the growth of diverse microorganisms. The consumption of these products, when contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms can pose a risk to health leading to possible food poisoning, with Escherichia coli being the most implicated organism. Thus, this research focused on the isolation of Escherichia coli from raw beef (Bos taurus) retailed in Otuoke market, its biochemical identification, pathogenicity testing and antibiogram. A total of 90 raw beef samples were collected from three retail points (30 samples per point) over 3 months and cultured on Eosin-Methylene Blue (EMB) agar for the elucidation of E. coli. Conventional biochemical tests were performed on isolates to identify E. coli. The isolates were subjected to Congo-red assay to test for pathogenicity and the agar-diffusion assay to test sensitivity to commonly utilized antibiotics. A total of 51 samples (56%) were contaminated with E. coli of which 24 samples (26.6%) had mean aerobic bacteria counts greater than 5.0 Log CFU/gm which is above the European Commission Regulation No. 2073/2005 guideline for fresh beef. All E. coli isolates tested positive to the Congo-red assay, thus indicating their potential pathogenicity. Antimicrobial sensitivity assay indicates the resistance of isolates to Tetracycline (60%), Erythromycin (80%) and Amoxicillin (85%). However, the isolates were sensitive to Nitrofurantoin (90%), Gentamicin (78%) and Ciprofloxacin (82%). The results obtained highlights the high level of contamination by potentially pathogenic E. coli in retailed fresh meats which are highly resistant to some of the commonly used antibiotics. The results obtained from this study is of public health significance as it indicates possible risks of infection to people through the consumption of inadequately cooked meat or the cross-contamination of other food items by the meat products which may lead to outbreaks of food poisoning.