MICROBIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF FRESHWATER SNAIL (PILA OVATA) AND THEIR DIFFERENT HABITAT LOCATIONS AND THE PHYSICO-CHEMICAL QUALITIES OF THE HABITATSCHIDI F. EZEAMAA AND BERNARD J. 0. EFIUVWEVWEREAbstract Freshwater snails (Pila ovata) were harvested from four locations (Akpoha, Ibii, Onu-Asu and Oziza) of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The microbiological qualities of the snails (and its habitat) and the pH, salinity, temperature and dissolved oxygen of the water (habitat) at each location were investigated. The total viable counts (TVCs), total anaerobic counts (TACs), total coliform counts (TCCs) and the total faecal coliform count (TFCs) in water differed significantly (P = 0.05 ) with TVC being the highest (6.75 logiocfu ml..-1) in water from Akpoha and lowest (5.41 log,ocfu mi.)in water from Oziza. The TVCs of the intestinal and meat portions of the snail differed, being 7.53 and 3.42 log10 cfu Kt respectively as typically observed in samples from Akpoha. The TACs were highest (>log 4 cfu g-1) in the intestine than in the meat (> log 2 cfu g-1). The microbial profile of the meat was less diverse than that of the habitat. The most prevalent bacteria isolated from the waters and the snails were Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Salmonella enteritidis. The mean temperature, salinity levels, pH and the dissolved oxygen (1)02) of the ecosystem (waters) differed from location to location with the temperature ranging from 27.60 to 29.10°C, salinity level from 1.06 to 1.65°/, pH from 7.80 to 9.04 while the DO, ranged from 5.14 to 5.86mg L. The differences observed in the microbiological and physicochemical parameters of the habitats were associated with human activities that prevailed in the environment.
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