Comparison of Escherichia coli levels in shellfish from Mediterranean coast, Morocco

Global Advanced Research Journal of Microbiology (GARJM) ISSN: 2315-5116

November, 2015. Vol. 4(10), pp 116-123

Full Length Research Paper

Comparison of Escherichia coli levels in shellfish from Mediterranean coast, Morocco

Rachid Boutaib ¹, Hakima Azhari ¹, Mohammed Abid ² and Mohammed Marhraoui¹

¹ Institut National de Recherche Halieutique. Laboratoire de microbiologie. Centre Régional de l’INRH. BP. 5268. Dradeb. Tanger 90000. Maroc

² Institut Pasteur du Maroc. Département de recherche. 1, Plateau Marchan. Tanger 90000. Maroc

*Corresponding Author’s Email: boutaibr@yahoo.fr

Accepted 15 September, 2015

Abstract

Monitoring of Escherichia coli levels in commercial bivalve shellfish is intended to protect consumer health from foodborne diseases. This study aims to identify if one species can be used as indicator for microbiological contamination of other species present. During 2012, 168 samples of shellfish (clams, cockles and mussels) were analysed for E. coli by MPN technique. 62.5% of samples complied with regulatory threshold ≤230 MPN and geometric mean were higher in cockles than in clams or mussels in each site. Statistical significance was observed between sites. Seasonally, the highest levels were recorded in wet weather (winter and spring) due to runoff of waters from rainfall and lowest levels were recorded in dry weather (summer) when high temperatures show bactericidal effect. Our findings show cockles could be as sentinel specie for burrowing shellfish, but for non burrowing (mussels), monitoring should be done on this specie.

Keywords: Monitoring, Escherichia coli, Shellfish, MPN.

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