Role of aerobic intestinal pathogens of fresh water fish in transmission of human diseases

Abstract

A total of 101 fresh water fish Tilapia nilotica were bacteriologically investigated for pathogenic and potentially pathogenic organisms. True intestinal pathogens were obtained in 11.8% of the examined specimens including 7.9% with enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and 3.9% with Salmonella species. Serological typing of Salmonella (4 strains) revealed the detection of Salmonella typhimurium (1 strain), S. wangata (2 strains), and S. newport (1 strain). Other potentially pathogenic organisms were isolated in considerable frequencies, Proteus spp. (43.5%) atypable E. coli (13.8%), Micrococcus spp. (11.8%) and Providencia (9.9%). Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Staphylococci were not detected in the examined samples.