Chidinma Perpetual CHINWUBA

Fresh vegetables such as green peas and carrots are important components of the humandiet but are highly susceptible to microbial contamination, posing significant public healthrisks. This study aimed to assess the microbial contamination of these vegetables sold inlocal markets in Benin City, Nigeria, focusing on the isolation and identification of bacteria, theevaluation of their prevalence, and the assessment of antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Atotal of 20 vegetable samples were collected from New Benin, Adolor, and Ring Road markets. Standard microbiological techniques were employed for bacterial isolation and identification, while the disc diffusion method was used for antibiotic susceptibility testing. The results revealed high bacterial loads, with Ring Road Market samples showingthehighest total heterotrophic bacterial counts (265 ± 77.78 CFU/g for green peas and115±12.73 CFU/g for carrots), suggesting poor hygiene and handling practices. The bacteriaisolated included Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp., Shigella sp., Staphylococcus aureus, andBacillus sp. E. coli had the highest prevalence in carrots (50%), while S. aureus was most prevalent in green peas (40%). Antibiotic susceptibility testing showed multidrug resistance, with many isolates resistant to colistin, erythromycin, tetracycline, metronidazole, andclindamycin. However, ciprofloxacin and gentamicin remained effective against most isolates. These findings highlight the urgent need for improved food safety practices, strict regulationof antibiotic use in agriculture, and regular microbial monitoring to reduce the risksoffoodborne illnesses and the spread of antimicrobial resistance in fresh produce.09121662458