Isolation and Identification of Pathogenic Bacteria in Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) from Urmia Markets

Abstract: Introduction :Aqua cultural products can harbor pathogenic bacteria which are part of the natural microflora of the environment. A study was conducted aiming at determining primary and secondary bacterial contaminations of apparently healthy fishes (rainbow trout and perch) those consumed more by human in this area. Bacterial pathogens associated with fish can be transmitted to human beings from fish used as food or by handling the fish causing human diseases. Material and methods: Swab samples from mouth, gills, intestines, skin, liver and kidney of Common carps which caught from Urmia fishery markets, were studied for some human bacterial pathogens including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp., Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. Differentiation and characterization of various isolates was based on their growth characteristics on specific culture media (biochemical and gram staining reactions). Results: Bacteriological results showed significant differences (p 0.0001) in total bacterial counts and coliform counts. Majority of infections were due to E. coli and Staphylococcus, in other hand Salmonella was in minority. However, counts of E. coli and S. aureus did not vary significantly (p 0.05). Most contaminated organs were mouth, gills and skin respectively. The Listeria monocytogenes was not detected in fish samples during the study. Conclusion: Common carps were found to harbor a number of pathogenic microorganisms in varying percentages in their skin. Our results indicate secondary infections with high consumption at the fishery market of Urmia is the main causes of contamination, so considering health care, using cryogenic equipment, containers and packaging are the most appropriate solution for protection from contamination.