Analysis of Bacterial Isolates and Their Antibiotic Resistance Profiles in Commercially Available Frozen Chicken Products

Abstract

Frozen chicken products contribute a large proportion of the protein needs of the average Nigerian family.
Although chicken products are safe when frozen continuously and properly stored, they are easily prone to
microbial contamination. However, the majority of the frozen chicken products sold in open markets are
smuggled into the country in very unhygienic circumstances that make them susceptible to microbial
contamination thus compromising their quality. This study, therefore, evaluated the microbiological quality of
frozen chicken parts sold in Port Harcourt metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria. The objective was to isolate the
microorganism(s) if any, present in the frozen chicken samples, characterize and identify them and then
determine the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of the isolates. A total of two hundred chicken samples were
collected from different pppmarkets and evaluated for microbial contamination using standard
microbiological.