The Abundance of some Pathogenic Bacteria In Mangrove Habitats of Paraiba do Norte Estuary and Crabmeat Contamination of Mangrove Crab Ucides cordatus

Study on mangrove water and sediment of Paraiba do Norte river (Northeastern Brazil) and crabmeat of Ucides cordatus was carried to investigate the relation between the abundance of bacteria in the mangrove habitat and in the crabmeat. Simultaneous collection of samples of water, sediment and crabs (U. cordatus) was done during the rainy and dry seasons at two areas of mangroves that differed in influence of tide and sewage discharge. The numbers of total heterotrophic bacteria in the mangrove water were between 0.04 and 6 log CFU 100mL(-1), and in the sediment between 5 and 6 log CFU g(-1). The location closer to waste discharge showed higher incidence of total heterotrophic bacteria, coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella spp. The counts of total heterotrophic bacteria in the crabmeat varied from 1.3 to 4.4 log CFU g(-1), and did not differ significantly between the locations analysed. No crabmeat sample showed the presence of coliforms, S. aureus and Salmonella spp.