Antibiogram of E. coli and Salmonella spp. isolated from chicken meat and frozen milk in Barishal city, Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: Food safety is now a global issue especially in developing countries like Bangladesh. Foodborne diseases are leading causes of illness and death in man, animals and birds in the world. Antibiotic resistant Salmonella and E. coli may transfer these resistances to humans through consuming chicken meat and frozen milk available in the market. There is no study on the microbiological load in chicken meat and frozen milk marketed in Barishal city. Therefore, the present study was designed to assess the contamination of E. coli and Salmonella spp. in chicken meat and frozen milk along with their antimicrobial resistance pattern in Barishal city. Methods: A total of 40 samples including frozen milk (n=20) and chicken meat (n=20) were aseptically collected between July 2020 and June 2021 from a renowned shop and open retail market of the municipal area in Barishal city. The isolation and identification of E. coli and Salmonella spp. were done by conventional techniques. The antimicrobial profile was evaluated through a disk diffusion method. Results: The overall detection of E. coli and Salmonella spp. were 62.5% and 32.5% in milk and chicken meat specimens. No salmonella was detected in milk samples whereas Salmonella spp. was detected only in 65% of chicken meat samples. An overall 100% of the isolates were multi-drug resistant (MDR). Both E. coli and Salmonella spp. isolated from chicken meat and milk were highly sensitive to amikacin (71%-100%) followed by gentamicin (64%-87%), sulpha-trimethoprim (13%-67%); and highly resistant (100%) to oxytetracycline, amoxicillin, and ciprofloxacin. Conclusions: Chicken meat and milk should be cooked or heated thoroughly before consumption. Amikacin, gentamicin, and sulfa-trimethoprim should be the drugs of choice for the treatment of salmonellosis and colibacillosis in dairy and poultry in the study area. Hygienic and sanitary measures should be taken in all aspects from the farm to fork.