Antibiogram of Bacteria Isolated from Locally Processed Cow Milk Products Sold in Keffi Metropolis, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

An investigation was conducted to determine the antibiogram of bacterial species isolated from locally processed cow milk products sold in Keffi metropolis, Nasarawa state, Nigeria. Samples of the cow milk products, Raw milk, Nono, Kindrimo, and Manshanu, were each collected in triplicates from ten different sales locations in Keffi, and analyzed using standard bacteriological methods. Pour plate technique was employed for the isolation of bacteria from these cow milk products. The isolates were identified using cultural, morphological and biochemical methods, and thereafter the antibiotic susceptibility of each isolate was determined by modified Kirby Bauer diffusion method. Bacterial counts for Raw milk, Nono, Kindrimo and Manshanu were respectively in the range of 3.2×108 - 6.9×108, 8.1× 108 - 2.70×109, 7.3×108 – 9.8.×109 and 5.8×108- 5.2×109. The bacterial species isolated were Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp, Streptococcus spp. and E. coli with overall occurrence frequencies of 50%, 20%, 17.5% and 12.5%, respectively. E. coli was highly resistant to Septrin (80.2%), Sarfloxacin (75.3%) and Erythromycin (90.2%). Salmonella species was also highly resistant to Septrin (71.4%), Chloramphenicol (71.4%), Sparfloxacin (85.7%) and Erythromycin (71.4%). Similarly, Staphylococcus aureus was highly resistant to Septrin (75%), Chloramphenicol (75.4%), Sparfloxacin (87.5%), Amoxacillin (75.4%) and Augmentin (87.5%), while Streptococcus spp was highly resistant to Chloramphenicol (80.1%), Sparfloxacin (80.1%) and Augmentin (80%). These isolates may have developed resistance due to indiscriminate and frequent use of antibiotics which has now put the consumers of these milk products at risk of being infected with antibiotic resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria. Keywords: Antibiotic resistance, bacteria, cow milk, Keffi, Nigeri