Abstract
Escherichia coli is related to foodborne disease and outbreaks worldwide. It mainly affects persons at high risk as newborns, infants, and individuals with impaired immune system in hospitals. Multidrug-resistant E. coli is currently spreading both in community and hospital settings. Our study aims to evaluate the presence of E. coli and the incidence of its antibiotic resistance in samples obtained from various cooked and raw foods (N = 300), food contact surfaces (N = 238), and food handlers (N = 40) in Moroccan hospital catering service. E. coli was identified using API 20E, and the antibiotic resistance patterns were obtained using the agar disk diffusion methods. However, PCR method was used for O157 and H7 typing. The samples analysis showed that 14.33%, 24.16%, and 45% of food, surfaces, and food handlers harbored E. coli, respectively, with the highest rates obtained in raw meats (34.88%) and salads (34.88%). Molecular amplification shows that 14 E. coli isolates carried the flagellar antigen H7, while there are no isolates showing amplification for O157. The high rate of resistance was noted against ampicillin (100%), amoxicillin-clavulanate acid (100%), nalidixic acid (61.62%), and cefotaxime (59.49%), and isolates obtained from food handler's hands showed the highest rates of resistance. None of the isolates are extended-spectrum beta-lactamases producing, while 27.7% of the isolates were metallo-beta-lactams producing. This first study conducted on Moroccan hospital catering services may draw the authorities' attention to the necessity of setting up a surveillance system to monitor the food preparation process and the safety of prepared food in healthcare settings.
Highlights
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is facultative anaerobic, non-spore forming, Gram-negative bacteria within the Enterobacteriaceae family
Regarding the utensils and food contact surfaces, the raw meats worktops were the most contaminated with a rate of 59.09%, whereas the pastries worktops were exempts from E. coli
E. coli is foodborne pathogen identified in food products, human, and environmental samples worldwide [2, 21]
Summary
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is facultative anaerobic, non-spore forming, Gram-negative bacteria within the Enterobacteriaceae family. It forms part of the humans and warmblooded animals natural gastrointestinal flora [1, 2]. It represents a risk to global food safety and public health [6] primarily for persons at high risk as newborns, infants, and individuals with compromised immune system [2]. Besides their pathogenesis and virulence, E. coli strains acquire resistance over time. It is naturally sensitive to other classes of antibiotics
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