Occurrence and Enumeration of Multiple Bacterial Pathogens in Edible Snails from South East Nigeria

Abstract

Edible snails are usually obtained from the forest and in high demand among consumers. Data on the level of contamination of edible snails with bacterial pathogens are needed for making legislations that will improve food safety and protect public health. This study aimed to determine the occurrence and distribution of counts of selected bacterial pathogens in Achatina achatina from major markets within South East Nigeria. A total of 300 samples of A. achatina were examined for occurrence and counts of Citrobacter, Shigella, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus, Aeromonas and Bacillus cereus using enrichment broth, differential and selective media. Snail samples from Ogbete market had the highest mean aerobic plate count (9.32 ± 0.308 Log CFU/g), while Abakaliki market samples had highest mean count of coliforms (7.63 ± 0.389 Log CFU/g). Among pathogens, highest counts were observed for Citrobacter and E. coli which ranged from 6.0 to 8.0 Log CFU/g in 300 (100%) and 180 (60%) samples respectively. Significant differences were observed among the locations (p < 0.01). Our findings highlight the need for formulation and implementation of strategies for the reduction of bacterial pathogens in edible snails along the value chain.

A comparative study of the use of radiation, lemon juice, and vinegar for the preparation and preservation of African giant snails (Achatina and Archachatina)

“…Some pathogens associated with fresh land snails included: Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Shigella, and Arizona. According to Okafor and Ogbo (2019), 86.7% of achatina obtained from different markets in Nigeria had coliform counts ranging from 10 6 to 10 8 CFU/g.…”

First report of the presence of enterotoxin gene in coagulase-negative staphylococci recovered from meat of snails (Achatina achatina)

“…In this study, eight strains of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus predominant in raw snail meat ( A. achatina ) were used. The strains were isolated and phenotypically identified in our previous study on commercially available raw snail meat in Nigeria ( 31 ). The strains were subcultured on tryptone soya broth and incubated at 37°C.…”

“…Snail meat is usually subjected to stages of culinary preparation which include shucking (extraction of the meat from the shell), evisceration, desliming and cooking. The preparation of snail meat in domestic kitchens might lead to the contamination of kitchen utensils, surfaces, sponges, food, and the dissemination of some pathogens such as S. aureus , Bacillus cereus , Escherichia coli, Citrobacter and Aeromonas species ( 23 , 31 , 32 ) within the home setting, thereby increasing the risk of infections. Edible snails also appear to be a neglected factor in foodborne disease epidemiology, which is evident in the lack of information about the virulent nature of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus in this foodstuff.…”

Genome Sequence of OXA-726-Encoding Aeromonas dhakensis Igbk (Sequence Type 1171) from an Edible Snail Traded in Nigeria

“… A. dhakensis is frequently misidentified as Aeromonas hydrophila by phenotypic methods and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) ( 7 , 8 ). A strain of A. hydrophila (GenBank accession number MK530176 ) that was recently identified from edible snails in a different study in Nigeria using 16S rRNA gene sequencing ( 9 ) might also have been misidentified due to the strong similarities of the 16S rRNA gene.…”