Browsing by Author "Agusiegbe, Chidinma Sylvia"

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    Hygiene sanitary practices of meat handlers and antibiogram of microorganisms associated with abattoir facilities in Owerri Municipal, Imo State
    (Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2023-07) Agusiegbe, Chidinma Sylvia
    This study Assessed the Hygiene Sanitary Practices of Meat Handlers and Antibiogram of Microorganisms Associated with Abattoir Facilities in Owerri, Imo State. Cross-sectional and experimental designs were adopted in this study. Two abattoirs (Somachi and Relief abattoirs) were used in this study. 200 samples of meat handlers were randomly drawn from the 400 population of meat handlers in the 2 abattoirs. For the experimental study, 40 swab samples were obtained from; floor, walls, knives, hooks and workers hands from the two abattoirs. Standard microbiological methods were adopted in the isolation, identification, antibiogram and pathogenicity testing of the isolates. The data obtained from completed questionnaires were collated, analyzed, using statistical package for social sciences, (SPSS version 23) using chi-square analysis. Results of the cross sectional study indicated that there is a statistically significant association between the age of respondents and their perception of safe and hygienic handling of meat (P = 0.0037), as well as between the gender of respondents and their perception of safe and hygienic handling of meat (P = 0.0041). However, there is no statistically significant association found between educational attainments and safe and hygienic handling of meat. Microbiological examination of the abattoir facilities revealed the presence of; Escherichia,Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Pseudomonas, Bacillus and Klebsiella species. There was a significant relationship between hygiene practices and the presence of certain microorganisms (P<0.005). Specifically, the, presence of Penicillium species and Mucor species appears to have a positive relationship with hygiene practices, while the presence of other microorganisms like Streptococcus species, Salmonella species, and Klebsiella species is associated with lower hygiene practices. Most of the microorganisms from the abattoir facilities were resistant to different antibiotics. Pathogenicity testing with the microbial isolates showed that most of the isolates produced beta and alpha haemolysis. The findings show the need for interventions by providing food safety training to meat handlers to improve hygienic meat handling practices.