Staphylococcus species are considered as one of the major pathogens causing outbreaks of food poisoning. The aim of this work was to assess the toxinogenic and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of the strains of Staphylococcus spp isolated from three types of fermented dairy products (yoghourt, millet dêguê, and couscous dêguê). The isolation of the Staphylococcus strains was performed on selective media, and their identification was done using biochemical and molecular methods. The susceptibility at 15 antibiotics tested was assessed using the disc diffusion method. The immunodiffusion method was used to evaluate the toxin (luk-E/D, luk-S/F, ETA, and ETB) production. Biofilm formation was qualitatively researched on microplates. Less than half (42.77%) of the collected samples were contaminated with Staphylococcus spp. The yoghourt and millet dêguê samples collected in the afternoon were more contaminated than those collected in the morning. The S. aureus, S. capitis, and S. xylosus strains, respectively, were the most present. S. aureus was the only coagulase-positive species identified in our samples. The highest resistance to antibiotics was observed with penicillin (100%) irrespective of the nature of the sample. S. aureus strains were highly (71.4%) resistant to methicillin. The S. aureus strains were the most biofilm-forming (27.6%), followed by S. capitis strains. Panton and Valentine’s leukocidin (luk-S/F) was produced by only S. aureus strains at a rate of 8.33%. Only coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) produced Luk-E/D. The high rates of Staphylococci contamination indicate bad hygiene quality during the production and distribution of dairy products. It is, therefore, necessary to improve the quality of fermented milk products.

Market garden products can carry several types of microorganisms, and their consumption is the source of many cases of food poisoning. This work aimed to improve food safety in Benin. In characterizing strains of K. pneumoniae and fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. at the biochemical and molecular level, the target was to identify contaminated watering water and garden products sold during Cotonou in both the dry and rainy seasons. A total of 164 samples of market garden products and 22 samples of watering water were investigated. The results showed that 5.91% of market garden products and watering water were contaminated by K. pneumoniae and 20.43% by fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. During the dry season, cabbage was most contaminated by fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. (50%). Pool water was more contaminated with K. pneumoniae (17%). All isolated strains were resistant to both amoxicillin and penicillin. All strains of K. pneumoniae and fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. were not resistant to imipenem, and 22% of them produced penicillinase. Among the 49 strains producing penicillinase isolated, 64.29% and 21.43% carried blaTEM and bla SHV respectively while 14.28% carried bla CTX-M genes. In light of the previously-developed results and considering the importance of horticultural products in Beninese food habits, we must improve national awareness of the risk for foodborne illness.

This work aims at assessing toxin production capability and antibiotic resistance profiles of thermotolerant Gram-negative bacilli strains isolated from three types of fermented dairy products (yoghurt, dèguè millet and dèguè couscous). Samples collected in Abomey-Calavi and Cotonou were analyzed for microbial, biochemical and molecular parameters. Samples were contaminated with thermo-tolerant Gram-negative bacilli strains at 13.88%. The high contamination rate was recorded with the samples of dèguè couscous and the lowest contaminated samples were dèguè millet. Morning samples were more contaminated. Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Escherichia coli and Enterobacter cloacae were the most identified bacteria. The most isolated species in the dry season was E. coli. In the rainy season, K. pneumoniae and E. cloacae were the most isolated species. K. pneumoniae was the most formative of biofilm (38.9%). About 12% of the isolated strains were extended-spectrum betalactamases (ESBL) producers. The higher resistance rate was observed with amoxicillin and doxycylin (92.3%). Imipenem was the most efficient molecule on the isolated strains with 00% of resistance. The blaTEM gene was detected in 51.43% of the isolated strains followed by blaSHV (37.14%), blaCTX-M (8.57%) and blaOXA-1 (2.86%). It is necessary to train sales people on good hygiene practices for food during their production and their distribution.