Isolation of antibiotic resistant enterobacteriaceae on food contact surfaces from selected cafeterias in Bowen University

Abstract

Experiments were carried out with the aim of isolating antibiotic resistant Enterobacteriaceae on food contact surfaces from selected cafeterias in Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria. Members of the family Enterobacteriaceae were isolated by swabbing food contact surfaces in four selected cafeterias using standard procedures. Bacterial isolated were identified through biochemical characterization and molecular test. The level of susceptibility of these isolates was evaluated using antibiotic multidisc containing eight different antibiotics, and resistance genes were amplified from the resistant enterobacteria isolates. Ninety (90) enterobacteria isolates belonging to ten (10) genera were isolated and identified. Enterobacter (27) and Proteus (27) had the highest occurrences of isolates, followed by Serratia (11), Klebsiella (7), Pantoea (7), Citrobacter (4), Escherichia (2), Morganella (2), Salmonella (2), and Hafnia (1). Cafeteria 1 had the highest number of isolates (25) accumulating 27.8% of the total, while cafeteria 4 (19 isolates) accumulated 21.1%. Results showed that 60% of the enterobacteria isolates were resistant to cefixime, 50% isolates were resistant to cefuroxime, 36 % to ceftazidime and 1% was resistant to gentamicin. All isolates were susceptible (100%) to ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin. Nineteen of the isolates were resistant to two or more classes of antibiotics i.e. multiple antibiotics resistance (MAR). Antibiotic resistance genes were screened for in the enterobacteria isolates, sixteen showed the presence of TEM, and seven showed presence of the CTX-M β-lactam resistance genes. The occurrences of antibiotic resistant enterobacteria on food contact surfaces within the cafeterias suggest that reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant bacteria are present outside the hospital and other health institutions. To reduce the rate and spread of multi-antibiotics resistant, it is recommended that awareness and policy be made on the usage and control of antibiotics.