Yusuf, Abbas BazataGulumbe, Bashar HarunaAliyu, BasiruKalgo, Zaharaddin Muhammad2020-09-242020-09-242019-01Yusuf Abbas Bazata, Gulumbe Bashar Haruna, Aliyu Basiru, Kalgo Zaharaddin Muhammad. Bacteriological Assessment of Fresh Beef Sold in Birnin Kebbi Central Market, Kebbi State, Nigeria. International Journal of Medical Research & Health Sciences. 2019 Jan; 8(1): 127-1312319-5886http://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/204967Introduction: Microbiological quality of meat and meat products is of great public health significance since the consumption of contaminated meat has been reported as one of the major causes of food-related diseases. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the bacteriological quality of fresh beef sold in Birnin Kebbi Central Market. This was with a view to determining its safety for human consumption. Materials and methods: Beef samples were collected in triplicate from 10 different meat outlets from the market and were analysed using standard procedures. Results: The mean mesophilic aerobic bacterial counts from the 10 locations ranged from 3.2 × 105 to 3.9 × 108 cfu/g whereas a total of 49 isolates belonging to 7 genera including Bacillus subtilis 2 (4.1%), Proteus vulgaris 3 (6.1%), Enterobacter spp. 12 (24.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 7 (14.3%), Escherichia coli 14 (28.6%), Salmonella spp. 3 (6.1%) and Staphylococcus aureus 8 (16.3%) were identified. The difference in the mean bacterial load among the 10 sampling location was statistically insignificant (p>0.05). Conclusion: High mesophilic aerobic bacterial counts and the presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in beef pose a serious potential health hazard. Authorities and stakeholders should, therefore, intensify efforts to ensure that quality control and hygiene measures strictly adhere during meat handing.BacteriaFresh meatBeefBacterial contaminationMeat hygiene’sJournal ArticleIndiaDepartment of Microbiology, Federal University Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, Nigeria