Microbiological Quality of Farmed Tropical Freshwater Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii de Man).

The objective of this study was to determine the microbiological quality of farmed giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) collected from four freshwater farms located in Kerala (India). Microbiological counts on whole, deheaded, and deheaded and deveined prawn as well as on head and intestine were determined. Average counts (log10 cfu g-¹) on whole prawn were 6.9 (total mesophilic counts (TPC) at 37°C) and 4.1 (psychrotrophic count at 7°C). The results indicated that the aerobic counts were within the acceptable limit. The levels of enterococci and faecal coliforms in farmed M. rosenbergii were high. There was an increase in the numbers of enterococci and Staphylo- coccus aureus after deheading. The major groups of bacteria comprising the flora of M. rosenbergii were Aeromonadaceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudo,nonas. Farmed M. rosenbergii carried pathogenic bacteria such as Enterococcus spp., S. aureus, Aeromonas hydrophila, A. veronii biovar sobria and Clostridium perfringens. The results of the study sug- gest adoption of good farming and post harvest practices to improve the microbiological quality of farmed freshwater prawn. [Article copies available [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]