DOI: 10.36347/sjavs.2017.v04i07.005

Pages: 282-285

Abstract: In Nigeria, demand for quail eggs and meat in recent years has been unprecedented as most of the consumers believed that the eggs have medicinal value with most of them taking the eggs raw. These claims have public health significance as taking raw eggs could be detrimental to health if the quails/quail eggs harbour pathogens like Salmonella spp or E. coli. This study was aimed to isolate Escherichi coli and Salmonella spp from Japanese quail raw eggs from ten selected farms in Sokoto metropolis. A total of 50 Japanese quail raw eggs were used, 5 eggs from each of the selected farms. Two hundred swabs (200) were collected from 50 eggs for Salmonella spp and E. Coli isolation. The results obtained showed out of 50 eggs (200 swabs) that were cultured on Mac Conkey agar, a total of 77/200 (38.5%) samples had bacterial growth of which 33/200 (16.5%) swab were from egg shell swab, while 44/200 (22%) were from egg internal content swab. A total of 24/200 (12%) swabs expressed lactose fermenters on Mac Conkey agar (Presumed E. coli), with 21/24 (87.5%) of the isolates identified as E.coli base on their biochemical characteristics of which 11/21(52.4%) were from egg shell swab and 13/21 (61.9%) were from internal egg content. A total of 51/200 (25.5%) swabs expressed non lactose fermenters (presumed Salmonella spp) of which 19/51 (37.3%) was identified as Salmonella spp base on their biochemical reactions of which 8/19 (42.1%) were from egg shell and 11(57.8%) from egg internal content. It was concluded that incidence is higher and that economic and public health burden of these diseases is enormous therefore concern should be given to control and prevention of these diseases.