Prevalence of Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus in Chicken Meat and Pork from Cambodian Markets.

Chea Rortana,Hung Nguyen-Viet,Sok Koam,Delia Grace,Sofia Boqvist,Roeurn Sophia,Sinh Dang-Xuan,Fred Unger,Seng Sarim,Sothyra Tum,Or Phirum,Johanna F Lindahl,Theng Heng,Kristina Osbjer

doi:10.3390/pathogens10050556

Abstract

Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus are two of the most common foodborne bacteria in animal-source foods (ASF) that cause illness worldwide. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Salmonella spp. and S. aureus in chicken meat and pork in markets in Cambodia. Sampling was done in 52 traditional markets and 6 supermarkets in 25 provinces of Cambodia between October 2018 and August 2019. In total, 532 samples were obtained: chicken meat and pork (n = 408, 204 of each), chicken and pork cutting board swabs (n = 124, 62 of each). All samples were analyzed for the presence of Salmonella spp. and S. aureus; colony-forming units per gram (CFU/g) of coagulase-positive Staphylococci (CPS) were counted, and a subset of samples was also analyzed for the most probable number (MPN, n = 136) of Salmonella. The overall prevalence of Salmonella spp. and S. aureus were 42.1% (224/532) and 29.1% (155/532), respectively, with 14.7% (78/532) of samples containing both bacteria. The prevalence of Salmonella spp. in chicken meat was 42.6%, on chicken cutting board it was 41.9%, on pork it was 45.1%, and the pork cutting board 30.6%. Chicken meat had a significantly (p-value < 0.05) higher prevalence of S. aureus, 38.2%, compared to the chicken cutting board, 17.7%, pork 28.9%, and pork cutting board 11.3%. Mean MPN-Salmonella was 10.6 MPN/g in chicken and 11.1 MPN/g in pork samples. Average Log CFU/g of CPS in chicken and pork samples were 2.6 and 2.5, respectively. The results indicate that chicken meat and pork in Cambodia were highly contaminated with Salmonella spp. and S. aureus, posing risks to consumers’ health. Urgent interventions are necessary to improve hygiene for safer meat in Cambodian markets.

Highlights

Foodborne diseases (FBD) are the illness conditions caused by the ingestion of food containing biological, chemical, or physical hazards
The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Salmonella spp. and S. aureus in chicken meat and pork and cutting boards for chicken and pork in Cambodian traditional markets and supermarkets, the information needed for food safety management
Vulnerable people who consume fresh chicken meat and pork purchased from the traditional market might be at risk of contracting FBD. These pathogens may contribute to common foodborne illness in Cambodia, and interventions to improve hygienic practices in markets are strongly recommended

Summary

Introduction

Foodborne diseases (FBD) are the illness conditions caused by the ingestion of food containing biological, chemical, or physical hazards. Biological hazards such as bacteria, virus, parasites are responsible for most illnesses. Based on a comprehensive review of 31 common microbes causing FBD worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the health burden of 26 priority hazards at 33 million Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs); with an exceptionally high (40%) burden in children under five years of age [5]. Few LMICs monitor the presence of FBD, and data on the burden are limited, while more data are available in high-income countries [1,3,9,10]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion