ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY OF PYOGENIC STREPTOCOCCI IN CATFISH AND TILAPIA FROM FRESH WATER DEMONSTRATION FISH PONDS, MANDO, KADUNA

International audienceA total of three hundred (300) fish samples comprising of 150 samples each of Catfish (Clarias gariepinus Trewavas) and Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus Teugels) were obtained from six fish ponds located in Demonstration Fish Ponds and Training Center, Mando, Kaduna. The samples were screened for pyogenic streptococci between August 2012 and January 2013. Physico-chemical parameters such as temperature, pH, conductivity, turbidity, nitrate, and biochemical oxygen demand were assessed in wet and dry seasons and the values were compared. The values obtained were further subjected to statistical analysis. The difference in values for temperature was only significant in pond 6 (p < 0.05) but not significant in ponds 1-5 (p > 0.05). The pH values in the six ponds were significantly different (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in conductivity of pond 5 but ponds 1-4 showed significant difference (p < 0.05). Likewise there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in values for nitrate, turbidity, and B.O.D across the ponds. Of the three hundred fish samples screened for pyogenic streptococci, 9 (42.2%) Streptococcus pyogenes were isolated from the body of catfish and tilapia in ponds: [P2, 2 (7.7%); P3, 3 (14.3%); P4, 2 (9.1%) and P6, 2 (11.1%)]. Streptococcus pyogenes isolates were resistant to ampiclox, amoxicillin and erythromycin but sensitive to pefloxacin, gentamycin, cotrimoxazole, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin and streptomycin. Minimum antibiotic resistant (MAR) index was high (0.3). The implications of the findings are discussed