ASSESSMENT OF Staphylococcus aureus PREVALENCE IN VEGETABLES SOLD AT LOCAL MARKETS IN BENIN CITY: IMPLICATIONS FOR FOOD SAFETY.

Abstract

Vegetables are an essential part of people's diet globally but they could aid the transmission of potential pathogens and channel the dissemination of resistance genes. This study aimed at evaluating the prevalence and antibiogram profile of Staphylococcus aureus in vegetables obtained from local markets in Benin City, Nigeria. A total of 50 fresh vegetables were collected from five local markets and investigated. These include 15 green leafs (Amaranthus tricolor), 15 water leafs (Talinum fruticosum), and 20 pumpkin leafs (Telfairia occidentalis). The samples were screened for Staphylococcus aureus using cultural, biochemical and Analytical Profile Index (API) Staph 32 identification protocols. The phenotypic characterization of antibiotic resistance was evaluated using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. The distribution of Staphylococcus aureus as observed was green leafs [3/14 (21.4%)], water leafs [6/14 (42.9%)] and pumpkin leafs [5/14 (35.7%)]. The distribution of Staphylococcus aureus based on market location was showed the highest occurrence at the Oba market (40%) and New Benin market (40%) while the least occurrence was observed at New-market (10%). Overall, the total Staphylococcus aureus positive samples were 14/50 (28.0%) in all markets. The antibiotic-resistance profile of Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated by the isolates showed that the highest resistance was recorded for penicillin while no resistance was observed for nitrofurantoin and gentamicin. The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index of Staphylococcus aureus in this study ranged from 0.14 – 0.71. Findings from this study and observed retail practices in local markets ascertained the possibility of vegetables getting contaminated via unhygienic agronomic and food handling practices.