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Beef is an important and popular source of protein and nutrients. Constant monitoring and evaluation of the microbiological contamination is pertinent for its safety and quality. This study aimed to assess the bacteriological profiles and the bacterial loads in beef, as well as investigate food safety practices among beef retailers in selected open markets in Accra, Ghana. This was a cross-sectional study with beef samples randomly purchased from six selected open markets in Accra metropolis. Beef samples were examined for total aerobic count (TAC) and total coliform count (TCC). Bacterial identification was performed by standard bacteriological methods and a well-structured questionnaire was administered to assess food safety and hygienic practices of beef retailers. Overall, mean TACs ranged between 2.2 × 103 and 1.3 × 104 CFU/g, while mean TCCs ranged between 1.9 × 102 and 7.4 × 102 CFU/g. Beef samples were mostly contaminated with Staphylococcus spp. (34%), Klebsiella oxytoca (17%), Enterobacter spp. (15%), and Proteus vulgaris (3%). This study showed varying levels of bacterial contamination of retailed beef sold in different Accra markets. According to the Health Protection Agency guidelines for assessing microbiological safety of ready-to-eat foods, our mean TACs were satisfactory, while mean TCCs were within borderline quality. The results of this study revealed that the majority of beef vended in open markets in Accra is contaminated with coliform and pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, more training in safe food handling and good hygiene practices is required for beef retailers. Conclusively, effective monitoring of the bacteriological profiles and bacterial loads of meat and meat products in abattoirs and points of sale should be established, since such a continuous monitoring system could help prevent potential health problems for consumers and provide information on possible sources of meat borne intoxication and infection.

Globally, mobile phones and computers (laptops and desktops) are indispensable part of human lives for communication, entertainment, and educational purposes. However, there are concerns about the increasing risk of bacterial contamination and antibiotic resistant trends from the surfaces of these devices. This study aims to assess bacterial contamination of mobile phones and computer keyboards and their resistant profile at the University of Ghana, Korle-Bu Campus, Accra. This was a cross-sectional study conducted from March to June 2017 with 240 swabs collected from the surfaces of mobile phones and computer keyboards used by healthcare students. Swabs were cultured on MacConkey, blood, and mannitol salt agar. Bacteria identification was performed with a standard bacteriological method. A total of 91 bacterial isolates were obtained from the devices, and they were tested against 9 commonly used antibiotics by the Kirby–Bauer disc method. The study revealed mobile phones and computer keyboards had contamination levels of 83.3% and 43.3%. Bacteria isolated included Staphylococcus epidermidis (25.4%), Klebsiella spp. (12.9%), Staphylococcus aureus (9.2%), Escherichia coli (6.7%), Pseudomonas spp. (5.4%), Enterobacter cloacae (2.1%), and Enterobacter spp. (1.7%). Overall, 91 bacterial isolates were highly resistant to ampicillin (96.7%) and tetracycline (75.8%) and moderately resistant to chloramphenicol (49.5%) with lower resistance to cefotaxime (18.7%), ceftadizime (14.2%), ciprofloxacin (25.3%), and gentamycin (24.7%). Additionally, 45.1% of isolates were multidrug resistant. Findings from this study revealed mobile phones and computer keyboards of healthcare students in the university were contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. Hence, frequent hand hygiene and disinfection of mobile phones and computer keyboard surfaces is encouraged to minimize the spread of resistant bacteria pathogens.

In most African countries, street vending of fruits is prevalent and the likelihood of predisposing consumers to microbial contamination is very high. This study aimed to determine various bacteria and risk factors that are associated with fruits sold by street vendors in Accra. Sliced watermelons and pawpaws were randomly purchased from selected suburbs in Greater Accra Region of Ghana. One gram (1 g) of each watermelon and pawpaw was homogenized in 9 ml of sterile peptone water, and 0.1 ml from each serial dilutions of each fruit was spread on plate count agar, blood agar, and MacConkey agar plates for total aerobic counts and coliform counts. Agar plates were incubated at 33–37°C for 18–24 h. Bacterial identification was done by standard bacteriological methods. Additionally, questionnaires were administered to the vendors to gather data on food hygiene and knowledge on foodborne illness. The study revealed that although some of the fruit vendors were educated on food hygiene, most sold fruits were contaminated with mean total aerobic plate counts of 2.6 × 105–8.1 × 105 CFU g−1 and 3.7 × 104–7.1 × 104 CFU g−1 for watermelon and pawpaw. The mean coliform counts for pawpaw and watermelon ranged between 1.2 × 103–8.1 × 103 CFU g−1 and 1.6 × 104–3.1 × 104 CFU g−1, respectively. Overall, mean aerobic counts and mean coliform counts were not significantly different among vendors in selected locations p>0.05. However, predominant bacteria isolated included Enterobacter species (33.3%), Citrobacter sp. (20.0%), and Klebsiella sp. (15.9%). The study revealed that watermelon and pawpaw sold on the streets in Accra could be possible source of foodborne illness. Therefore, street food vendors must be educated on food hygiene protocols and measures to improve microbial quality of street vended fruits.