Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment for Clostridium Perfringens in Beef Retailed at Akure Metropolis, Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the quantitative microbial risk assessment of Clostridium perfringens in beef samples obtained from retail markets in Akure metropolis, Ondo State. One hundred and forty beef samples were obtained aseptically at intervals (morning and afternoon) between February and March 2024. Serially diluted beef samples were pour-plated and inoculated on Reinforced Clostridial Agar. Colonial, morphological and biochemical characterisation of isolates was determined using conventional methods. Antibiotics susceptibility profiling of isolates was carried out using disc-diffusion method. Molecular identification of bacterial isolates was carried out using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The quantitative microbial risk assessment of isolates was carried out using an approximate Beta-Poisson dose-response model to estimate the probability of infection (pi) with the pathogens. A higher sensitivity to sparfloxacin was recorded with 30.10±0.12mm, 29.23±0.12 mm, 27.77±0.26 mm, 25.13±0.34 mm, 22.33±0.20 mm, 25.33±0.28 mm, 22.10±0.17 mm, 20.37±0.30 mm respectively. A 75% resistance to augmentin and 25% resistance to amoxicillin was recorded. C. pefringens probability of infection (pi) per meal per week was high (38.4%). The risk of death (0.00%), yearly risk of illness (0.999) and death per meal (0.053) were obtained, which indicates that the microbial risk from C. perfringens during accidental and/or intentional consumption of beef is low.