Microbiological quality of edible bivalve molluscs and shellfish growing water along the southwest coast of Karnataka

Abstract

Molluscan shellfishes (bivalves) are the important food source for the people newlineliving in the coastal areas and are the source of the income for the local fishermen. newlineThese shellfishes get contaminated in their habitat by the anthropogenic activities that newlinecause the diseases such as gastroenteritis, food poisoning etc. to human beings. In newlineIndia, though isolated incidents of shellfish poisoning were reported from states of newlineKarnataka and Kerala, shellfish quality control guidelines presently in force are mainly newlineapplicable to exports since it is made mandatory by the importing countries. newlineThis present study was done to check the sanitary quality of the shellfish newlineharvesting water and the bacterial load in shellfish and their inhabiting water. The water newlineand the edible bivalve mollusc samples were from Netravathi Gurupura estuary, Mulki newlineestuary of Dakshina Karnataka district and Sasthan estuary and Gangolli estuaries of newlineUdupi district. Water and bivalve molluscan shellfish consisting of oysters newline(Crassostrea madrasensis), clams (Meritrix meretrix), green mussel (Perna viridis) newlinesamples were collected for pre-monsoon (February-May), monsoon newline(June September) and post-monsoon (October- January) seasons for one year from newlineOctober 2013 to September 2014. A total of 116 samples were collected for the period newlineof one year, which consisted of water (43), clams (44), oysters (22) and green mussels newline(7) and subjected for the total bacterial count, total Vibrio Count, enumeration of newlinecoliforms. The presence of Vibrio spp and Salmonella spp was done by following the newlinemethod of FDA Bacteriological Analytical Manual. Physical parameters such as newlinetemperature and salinity were also tested in which the salinity and temperature was newlinerecorded minimum during monsoon and highest during the pre-monsoon season from newlineall the study sites. newline