MICROBIOLOGICAL STUDY OF SELECTED VEGETABLES FROM SOME IRRIGATION FARMS WITHIN KAWO, KADUNA FOR PRESENCE OF BACTERIA AND OTHER PARASITES

Microbiological study of selected vegetables from some irrigation farms within Kawo, Kaduna for the presence of bacteria and parasites was carried out. A total of twenty (20) vegetable samples were collected. Two (2) samples each of fresh lettuce, cabbage, spinach, ugwu leaves and spring onions were collected from two (2) different farms located in Kawo Kaduna. The percentage proximate composition of selected vegetables were investigated. Isolation and identification of the bacteria were carried out using pour plate technique and biochemical characteristics while the removal of parasite eggs, ova, larva and cysts from the vegetable substrate and concentrations were carried out using centrifugation and viewing of prepared slides were done under the microscope using 40x,100x and 400x magnifications. Antibacterial susceptibility pattern of the bacteria isolates were investigated using the agar diffusion method. There were variations in the percentage proximate compositions of the selected vegetables analyzed. The bacteria isolated and identified from the vegetables were Salmonella sp., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterobacter species while the intestinal ova, larvae, eggs and cyst of parasites identified were for Schistosoma haematobium, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichuria, Spongyloides stercoralis and hookworm. The antibacterial susceptibility against Gram negative bacteria indicated perfloxacin to be effective against Salmonella sp. while septrin was ineffective at different concentrations. Ciprofloxacin was very effective against Escherichia coli. The antibiogram of the Gram positive bacteria indicated Zinacef to be the most effective antibiotic against Staphylococcus aureus. The bacteria and parasites isolated from the selected vegetables could pose health risk to consumers if consumed without any hygienic processing