ABSTRACT

 The bacterial contamination of ready-to-eat vended water melon and paw paw sold by hawkers in Umudike Abia State, Nigeria was examined using standard microbiological method.This study was to assess the bacterial contaminations of some vended fruits sold in Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria of which a total of twenty (20) samples of sliced water melon and paw paw fruits (10 each) were purchased from different fruit vendors mostly patronized in five different locations within MOUAU. These samples were inoculated and cultured on Nutrient agar, Eosin Methylene Blue agar (E.MB), and MacConkey agar plates using spread plate techniques. The bacterial species were identified using colonial characteristics, Gram staining and biochemical tests, this reveals the major bacterial isolates to he Stciphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coil, .Pseudomonas aeruginosa Shigeila species and Salmonella species. The study revealed that out of the ten (10) each of water melon and pawapaw fruit samples examined, eight (8) and six (6) samples showed the presence of bacteria respectively, while the occurrence rate in the fruit samples revealed Staphylococcus aureus as having the highest bacterial isolates at. 8(40%) and 4(40%) respectively, while the least . was recorded for Pseudomoncis aeruginosa l(10%.Conclusively, this study recorded high occurrence of microorganisms, therefore to prevent the occurrence of possible health hazard due to contaminated fruits, measures have to be adopted in order to minimize fruits contamination by these bacteria species. Public awareger these contaminated fruits can cause to the health status of the consumer should be created due to unhygienic handling of the product. Proper practices, cleanliness, proper handling and washing of fruits before sale should be followed and highly stressed. Fruits handlers and vendors should be educated on proper sanitary way of processing the product in order to reduce microbial contamination and poisoning.