Antibiotics susceptibility profile of bacterial isolate from fish pond effluent

ABSTRACT

Fish farming is a recognized means of livelihood in Nigeria; however, the intensive use of antibiotics to prevent infection and increase fish yield calls for concern. This practice may lead to the growth of antibiotics resistant bacteria which contains resistant genes that can be transferred to human pathogens, causing treatment‐ resistant illness. This study investigated the antibiotics susceptibility profile of bacteria isolated from five fish ponds in Benin City using standard microbiological procedures. Isolates were identified using morphological characteristics and conventional biochemical tests, while antibiotic susceptibility test was determined by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results showed that total aerobic count of the ponds ranges from minimum 7.85 x 104 cfu/ml recorded in Ekewan fish pond to maximum 135.06 x 104 cfu/ml recorded in Sapele Road fish pond. Bacteria species isolated were Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus spp and Klebsiella spp, Pseudomonas spp, Proteus spp and E. coli. Frequency of occurrence and percentage distribution of the isolates showed that Bacillus spp had the highest while Klebsiella spp had the lowest. Community fish pond recorded the highest number of isolates while Adesuwa fish pond recorded the lowest number of isolates. Antibiotics susceptibility patterns showed that majority of the isolates were resistant to perfloxacin (85.18%) and amoxicillin (74.81%). It is suggested that the prophylactic and indiscriminate use of antibiotics may be a predisposing factor in the development of antibiotics resistance among the bacteria isolates. This may pose a threat to human population by transferring these resistant genes to other bacteria of human clinical significance.