An Investigation of the Sterility of Fish Tissues

Abstract

Bacteriological examinations were conducted to determine the incidence of bacteria in various fish tissues, including muscle, skin, gills and blood. The haddock, from which the muscle samples were taken, had been frozen immediately after being caught, while the blood samples were obtained from hake while the fish were alive. Of the 158 haddock muscle samples examined, 149 were sterile on aerobic test. Samples of the heart blood taken from hake were sterile in 3 instances. Blood cultures were incubated both aerobically and anaerobically.