Bacterial Isolates Associated with Fresh and Spoilt Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sold at International Market, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State

Introduction: The ability of certain human pathogens to adapt to plants without losing their virulence toward people is a major concern today. Aim: Thus, the aim of the present work was to characterize bacterial isolates associated with the surface of fresh and spoilt scotch bonnet pepper (Capsicum chinense) sold at International Market, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. Methodology: A total of 10 scotch bonnet pepper samples (five (5) fresh and five (5) spoilt pepper) were collected. Bacterial isolates were characterized using standard microbiological procedures. Results: The result revealed that from the fresh pepper samples, a total of twenty four (24) bacterial isolates were recovered while from the spoilt pepper samples, a total of thirty six (36) bacterial isolates were gotten. The percentage occurrence of bacteria isolated from the fresh pepper samples were in decreasing order of Staphylococcus aureus (25.00 %), Pseudomonas spp. (20.83 %), Escherichia coli (20.83 %), Bacillus spp. (16.67 %) and Proteus spp (16.67 %). The percentage occurrence of bacteria isolated from spoilt pepper samples were Staphylococcus aureus (27.78 %), Escherichia coli (22.22 %), Proteus spp (19.44 %), Bacillus spp. (16.67 %) and Pseudomonas spp. (13.89 %). The total heterotrophic bacteria counts for spoilt pepper ranged from 1.46 x 106 CFU/g to 2.01x106 CFU/g while total heterotrophic bacteria count of fresh pepper ranged from 1.22 x 106 CFU/g to 1.66 x 106 CFU/g. Conclusion: This high microbial load underscores the need for stringent control measures to prevent infection.