ABSTRACT

Assessement of incidence of enteric pathogenic bacteria present on the surface and albumen of egg of intensive and free range poultry birds selected from some poultry investigated. Microbial analysis carried out on all the samples revealed ten (10) bacterial species namely; Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus spp, Pseudomonas spp, Enterobacter spp, Bacillus spp, Shigella spp, Serratia spp, Streptococcus spp, and Salmonella enteritidis. The eggshell surface had the highest occurrence of bacterial isolates. Staphylococcus aureus appeared in all the  samples (100%) in the intensive system of both locations while the free range had 66.7% also in the both locations. Escherichia coli had 100% occurrence in free range sample surface and albumen ofUmuahia location. Proteus spp appeared in all the samples offree range and 80% occurrence was found in the intensive system in Aba. There was 100% occurrence of Pseudomonas spp in the eggshell surface of free range and 66.7% in the sample albumen of both locations. Bacillus spp had 100% occurrence in free range egg albumen from Aba and Umuahia. Salmonella enteritidis were not present in the intensive system of eggshell surface from both locations but appeared in the intensive system of albumen from both locations, though with very low occurrence (11.1% - 33.3%.). All tested samples of the intensive system poultry farm from all indication, were free from Salmonella enteritidis while 66.7%> of the free range were free from the species, Salmonella enteritidis. Shigella spp appeared in the entire sample (100%> occurrence) in Umuahia. Shigella spp was absent in the sample of the surface eggshell of intensive system of Umuahia and surface eggshell of free range in Aba while it was entirely t bsent xi intensive system of eggshell surface of Aba and 22.2%o offree range surface eggshell in from all the sample of albumen ofthe both locations. Bacillus spp had 40% occurrence in the eggshell surface of intensive system and 80% from that of Aba. The egg albumen in intensive had 66.0% from Umuahia and 40% from Aba. There was absence of Bacillus spp in both surface eggshell and egg albumen of Aba location while it had 66.7% occurrence in the egg surface and 33.3% in the albumen from Umuahia location. The microbial load of eggshell surface range from 3.30 x 106 to 3.50xl06Cfu/g in Umuahia 5.80x 102 Cfu/g from Aba. However, there was significant differences (p<0.05) in free range of albumen eggshell between Aba and Umuahia and intensive system and albumen eggshell between Aba and Umuahia while no significant (p>0.05) differences existed in free range surface eggshell between Aba and Umuahia and intensive eggshell surface between Aba and Umuahia. This result is an indication of the presence of enteric organisms in egg particularly on the eggshell surface. Also from the result ofthis study, it showed that the total viable count exceeded the recommended International Commission on the Microbiological Specification for Food,(ICMSF) value of 10 x 105 which indicate that egg may not be very sterile as thought, so care should be taken in its preparation as most of the bacterial isolate invest are pathogenic to man even at the low occurrence of Salmonella enteritidis, consumers especially those that take it raw are at higher risk cfthe infection. xn / \rI'1 significantly low and range from.