Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of pathogenic fungi associated with (<i>Clarias gariepinus</i>) smoked fish sold in Sokoto Central Market, Northwest Nigeria.

African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) popularly known as catfish is one of the most affordable and available smoked fish in northwestern Nigeria with high protein content. This smoked fish has become a reservoir for pathogenic fungi. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of fungi associated with this type of fish. A total of fifty (50) African catfish smoked samples were randomly obtained using convenience sampling. The associated fungi isolates were characterized and identified using phenotypic (conventional laboratory mycological) and genotypic (using specific internal transcribed spacer primer ITS1/ITS4) methods. The most prevalent isolated fungi were Rhyzopus and the species with Aspergillus as the second most prevalent fungi. The percentage similarity blast of the sequences on fungi database (NCBI) ranges from 99 - 100%. MEGA V.11 was the software used for the analysis of relationship between the fungal isolated from this research using their nucleotide obtained from BLAST. It can be concluded that the smoked catfish harbored some pathogenic fungi confirmed at the molecular level which are of medical importance being consumed by people within the metropolis of Sokoto state, and as such pose health related hazards to the general populace.