Microorganisms Associated with Food Vendors in Anambra State, Nigeria
- Author Egbuim T. C
- Co-Author Umeh S. O
- DOI
- Country : Nigeria
- Subject : Microbiology
Keywords : Food vendors, Food-borne disease, Hygiene, Sanitary practices
Abstract
Food vending has become an important public health issue due to widespread of food-borne diseases and food vendors play a major role due to lack of adequate food safety measures. This study aims to assess microorganisms associated with food vendors in Anambra state. Descriptive cross-sectional study and multistage sampling technique was adopted in this research, and a total of 128 food vendors were sampled. These food vendors were sampled using sterile swab sticks by aseptically swabbing their hands, aprons, plates, and spoons. The swabs were tested for bacterial and fungal contaminants. Among 128 food vendors, a total of 752 bacteria and 118 fungi were isolated. The bacteria isolates from this study were S. aureus (21.01%), E. coli (23.27%), Salmonella enterica (13.03%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16.89%), B. cereus (11.84%), Klebsiella spp (10.90%) and Serratia marcescens (3.06%). The fungi isolates were Aspergillus spp (37.29%), Microsporium canis (14.41%), Mucor spp (12.71%), Penicillium spp (10.17%), and Candida spp (25.42%). The questionnaire and observatory study adopted in this research showed poor personal hygiene and sanitary practices among food vendors. The findings of this study emphasized the importance of food vendors as potential vehicles for transmitting food-borne diseases and thus the need to adopt food safety measures geared towards maximum food safety is needed.
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