Contamination Level of Histamine-Producing Bacteria in Fishery Products in Côte d’Ivoire

Background and Objective: Histamine is the primary cause of fish and seafood related illnesses. Identifying and characterizing histaminogenic bacteria would allow to prevent their growth and thus avoid the production of histamine in fish products. The objective of this study was to evaluate the capacity of bacteria to produce histamine in fish products in Côte d'Ivoire. Materials and Methods: To do this, 18 samples (6 tuna samples, 3 mackerel samples, 3 tilapia samples, 3 crab samples and 3 shrimp samples) were collected. The enumeration of mesophilic aerobic germs, Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus and lactic acid bacteria was carried out according to conventional microbiological methods. Then, 270 isolates from the different groups of microorganisms counted were tested for their ability to produce histamine on Niven medium. Results: The results of this study showed that the average loads of the different microorganisms in the fish products varied significantly according to the species analyzed. Of the 270 isolates tested, 124 isolates produce histamine, i.e. 49.92%. Histaminogenic Enterobacteriaceae showed high percentage of histamine production with 47.58% in the different fish products. Conclusion: Enterobacteriaceae are therefore the most incriminated in the production of histamine in fishery products in Côte d'Ivoire. They would therefore represent a major health risk for consumers.