Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profile of Microorganisms Isolated from the Intestine and Body Parts of the African Giant Land Snail (Achatina achatina) Sold in Akure, Nigeria

Aims: To evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of microorganisms isolated from the intestine of African giant land snail (Achatina achatina) sold in Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria.

Place and Duration of Study: Snail samples were obtainedfrom Ilara, Ogbese, Oja-Oba, Owena including Ecotourism and Wildlife department (EWM) of Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo state, between June and August, 2017. This research work was carried out at the Department of Microbiology laboratory, Federal University of Technology, Akure.

Methodology: A total of seventy-eight (78) snail samples were collected from different locations. The types and loads of fungi and bacteria in the body parts of the snail samples were determined, Identification and characterization of various bacterial isolates were based on Gram-staining technique and biochemical tests. The fungal isolates were identified by their morphological features and lactophenol cotton blue staining procedure. Antimicrobial susceptibility profile of the isolates was evaluated using standard methods.Klebsiella pneumoniae being resistant to multiple antibiotics and as such subjected to plasmid analysis.

Results: Escherichia coli (17.1%),Enterobacter species (13.3%), Klebsiella pnuemoniae (12.9%), Proteus vulgaris (15.7%), Salmonella species (15.7%) and Staphylococcus aureus (25.2%) were isolated from the body parts of the snails. While Escherichia coli (18.7%), Enterobacter species (7.32%), Klebsiella pnuemoniae (14.63%), Proteus vulgaris (12.2%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11.38%), Salmonella species (13.82%), Shigella species (9.76%)and Staphylococcus aureus (12.2%) were isolated from the snail’s intestine. The fungi isolated include: Alternaria species, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae, Fusarium species, Paecillomyces variotti, Penicillium marneffei and Aspergillus oryzae. Ofloxacin was the most effective antibiotic against the bacteria isolates, Ceftriaxone and Augmentin were the least effective on the isolates. Most of the fungal isolates were resistant to Griseofulvin. Penicillium marneffei was resistant to Itraconazole, Ketonazole, Grieofulvin but sensitive to Terbinafine.

Conclusion: Findings from this study revealed that the African giant land Snail harbours bacterial and fungal pathogens, these pathogens have obvious public health implications.