Bacteriological status of ashtoum El-Gamil protected area

Survey study was carried out throughout four seasons from four locations representing the whole protected area Ashtoum El-Gamil, Port Said governorate, Manzala Lake concerning the bacterial load in water and fish of this park. The bacterial load in water samples increased by increasing water temperature, the range of total count of bacteria was 0.6×10^6 to 0.2×10^8 /100 ml of water sample in winter and summer respectively. The following bacterial genera were isolated from water samples: Aeromonas, Bacillus, Proteus, Pseudomonas, Streptococcus, S. epidermidis, S. aureus, Micrococcus, Vibrio and E. coli. The predominant microorganisms isolated from water were E. coli, Bacillus spp., Vibrio spp. and Pseudomonas spp. While the total bacterial counts (TBCs) from fish samples obtained on NA media were higher in summer season in all tested organs than other seasons (spring, winter and autumn); also, the high bacterial load was observed in both of gills and intestine comparing with the liver. TBCs were 0.8×10^7, 0.52×10^7 and 0.13×10^7 cfu / g in gills, intestine and liver, respectively in location No. 3 (bahr kassab) during the summer. The highest TBCs obtained on McCA, MSA, and BHA media were 0.16×10^7, 0.25×10^7, and 0.3×10^7 cfu / g of gills in locations No. 1, 1 and 3 during summer, autumn and summer, respectively. The bacterial species isolated also from fish were namely V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, Aeromonas spp., E. coli, Yersinia spp., Proteus, Pseudomonas spp., Micrococcus spp., S. epidermidis, S. aureus and Streptococcus spp. In the pathogenicity test, the most pathogenic bacteria for tilapia fish were Pseudomonas spp., V. cholerae and Aeromonas spp which causing greater than 70, 60% and 60% mortality within 96 hr respectively.