Search

The rapid development antibiotic-resistant food pathogens pose a heightened threat to public health. This study investigated the antibiotic resistance pattern of bacteria associated with suya meat, a ready-to-eat beef product, in Nigeria. Three hundred suya meat samples were cultured and pure isolates identified by API 20E and API 20NE. The resistance profile of isolates was determined using disc diffusion methods. Data were analysed by one-way analysis of variance and students' T-tests. The mean total plate counts (TPCs) of samples ranged from 1.0 x 105 to 3.7 x 105 CFU/g. There were no significant differences among the TPCs from zones A, B, C and D (P> 0.05). A total of 1014 isolates were obtained with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13.51%) having the highest percentage occurrence and Salmonella enteric Typhimurium (1.48%), the lowest. A 92.90% portion of the isolates showed sensitivity to imipenem while 86.69% exhibited resistance to teicoplanin. This study revealed that the microbial quality of the ready-to-eat suya was at a borderline with reference to the microbiological guidelines for ready-to-eat animal food product. The study also revealed the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the ready-to-eat beef product which indicates a risk in food safety and a threat to public health. These findings will aid in the selection process of the right antibiotics in the treatment of food-borne infections while establishing the need for improvement on the microbial quality of the food product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Vendors of ready-to-eat foods attach great importance to speed of service. None adherence to standard procedures in processing foods results to food contamination with pathogenic microorganisms. This study evaluated ready-to-eat foods in some restaurants in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria for bacterial contamination. Ninety (90) samples consisting of thirty samples each of fried Rice, steamed beans pudding (Moimoi) and Cole-slaw were randomly collected from six different restaurants and transported aseptically under cold condition to the laboratory for evaluation using standard microbiological techniques. The total aerobic plate counts of organisms were expressed as colony forming units per gram of sample. Antibiotic sensitivity was done on the isolates. Of the total samples, 209 bacterial isolates were recorded from nine bacteria genera. The bacteria isolates were Staphylococcus aureus (22.0%), Escherichia coli (18.2%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (15.3%), Salmonella typhi (11.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.6%), Bacillus cereus (7.2%), Citrobacter freundii (7.0%), Proteus mirabilis (5.3%) and Enterobacter aerogenes (4.3%). The bacteria load ranged from 1.17 x 10³-3.19 x 106 cfu/g of food. Moimoi appeared generally safe, fried Rice range between tolerable and unacceptable limits while Cole-slaw was generally unacceptable for human consumption. The microorganisms demonstrated gross resistance to tested antibiotics except ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. Management of food-borne infections caused by the microorganisms may pose clinical challenges. Health education to improve the knowledge of food vendors and consumers on food safety and hygienic practices is hereby advocated. Regulation and effective monitoring for enforcement of standards among vendors of ready-to-eat foods are therefore recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...