OCCURRENCE OF AEROMONAS AND PSEUDOMONAS BACTERIA IN Oreochromis niloticus FROM THREE FISH FARMS IN UPPER BENUE VALLEY AREA, ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The emergence and expected development of aquaculture aim to boost food production and economic stability. Additionally, this development is aimed at improving public health, by increasing the availability of nutritious food sources and encouraging a more varied diet. Bacterial infections pose a significant challenge to achieving sustainable aquaculture production. This study was conducted to assess the presence of infectious aeromonads and pseudomonads in Oreochromis niloticus from the Upper Benue Valley Area of Adamawa State. O. niloticus samples were collected from three fish farms. Tissue samples from the fish were subjected to bacteriological analysis. The collected data were subjected to descriptive statistics and Chi-square analysis. The results indicated that water quality parameters in examined fish farms were within acceptable limits for O. niloticus. The bacteriological examination results revealed that 62.50% of the sampled O. niloticus with bacterial presence tested positive for A. hydrophila, 12.50% for A. sobria, and 25.00% for P. fluorescens. The seasonal analysis showed that A. hydrophila had a higher prevalence (37.50%) during the dry season, while P. fluorescens had a consistent prevalence of 12.50% in the dry and wet seasons. This study demonstrated that the occurrence of bacteria in fish is predominantly influenced by specific bacterial species and environmental conditions rather than by seasonal variations. This suggested a more dynamic interaction between bacteria and their aquatic environments. It also showed that pathogenic bacteria can be present in O. niloticus without causing apparent symptoms in the fish.