Prevalence of Pathogenic Enterobacteria in Market Garden Produce Grown in the Peri-Urban Area of Abidjan, Ivory Coast

This study, which is a contribution to national health surveillance of pathogens, was conducted to determine the prevalence of pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae in the market garden environment of Abidjan. To this end, samples of lettuce, irrigation water, manure and soil were taken from three (03) major market gardening sites in Abidjan. Microbiological analyses of these samples were carried out. The enterobacteria obtained after isolation were identified. The results revealed ten (10) bacterial genera belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family, including 15 bacterial species in the samples of lettuce, irrigation water, manure and soil analysed. These included Salmonella enterica with serotypes (Salmonella Gallinarum, Salmonella Arizonae, Salmonella Choleraesus), Salmonella spp, Escherichia coli, Shigella boydii, Shigella sonnei, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter gergoviae, Enterobacter agglomerans, Serratia marcesens, Serratia phymutica, Afnia alvei, Citrobacter freuidii Citrobacter diversus, Providencia alcalifasciens, Proteus vulgaris and Yersinia spp. The presence of these pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae indicates a potential risk associated with the consumption of lettuce produced in Abidjan. The Ivorian authorities should take preventive measures, such as educating market gardeners about the harmful effects of contaminated water used to irrigate vegetables, and the use of animal droppings as fertiliser to fertilise the soil, to avoid the future proliferation of infectious diseases such as typhoid fever and bacillary dysentery among the population of Abidjan.