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ABSTRACT
A slaughterhouse, sometimes known as an abattoir, is a facility where livestock animals are slaughtered for food, producing meat for the meat-packing industry. Slaughterhouses, more precisely in the different processing areas from each unit. Fungal burden characterization will be helpful to know the background level of fungal contamination and to identify suitable indicator parameters for these settings regarding occupational exposures. Hence, this study was carried out to determine fungal contamination of animal carcass in local slaughterhouses in Benin City, Edo State. A total of thirty (30) samples were collected from drinking water, animal droppings and worker’s palms from slaughterhouses in Benin City, Edo state. Using Cultural and morphological parameters the fungi organisms were identified. The results showed that the total fungi count from animal droppings ranged from 11.00 ± 2.00 x 104 cfu/ml to 32.00 ± 2.00 x104 cfu/ml, while for drinking water was from 2.50 ± 0.50 x104 cfu/ml to 13.50 ± 1.50 x104 cfu/ml. The total fungi count on worker’s palms ranged from 1.00 ± 0.00 x104 cfu/ml to 16.0 ± 1.00 x 104 cfu/ml. The fungi isolates were identified as Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus nudulans, Aspergillus verrucosus, Aspergillus terrerus, Cladosporium sp., Trichothecium roseum, Fusarium sp. and Stereum sanguinolerum. The percentage frequency of occurence of fungi isolates from droppings, drinking water and worker’s palms are as follows; A. niger and S. sanguinolentum had the highest percentage occurrence (19.44%) in droppings, while A. verrucosus had the least occurence (2.70%). Aspergillus niger had the highest percentage occurrence of (38.46%) from drinking water sample, while Fusariump sp. and Cladosporium sp. had the least occurence of (3.80%). Aspergillus niger and S. sanguinolentum had the highest percentage occurence from the worker’s palms (35.29%) and (29.41%) relatively compared to A. verrucosus, Cladosporium. and A. nidulans. This study besides suggesting the indicators that are representative of harmful fungal contamination also indicates a strategy as a protocol to ensure a proper characterization of fungal occupational exposure.
