The latest available data indicate that since 2018, poultry has been the most widely consumed meat in the world. However, poultry meat is frequently highly contaminated with microorganisms. Total viable count (TVC), which is also called total aerobic mesophilic bacteria (TAMB), is an indicator of bacterial quality. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with bacterial contamination of poultry meat at butcher shops. The study was carried out from January 2018 to July 2020 and included 10 butcher shops in Biskra (Algeria). Different poultry meat samples (n=159) were purchased from butcher shops, prior to and after the outbreak of COVID-19. Each sample was tested for TAMB and faecal coliforms. In this study, one independent variable was quantitative, which is the contamination of poultry meat by faecal coliforms, and nine variables were categorical: whole carcass packed at the slaughterhouse or cut at butcher shop, sample type: thigh skin, thigh meat, neck skin, liver, turkey escalope, and before or after the outbreak of COVID-19. Descriptive statistics, multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and multiple linear regression were used to examine if the various factors identified were associated with the bacterial contamination of poultry meat. The average level of contamination of poultry meat by TAMB was: 6.40 ± 0.81 log10 CFU/g. MCA results with graphical representations of qualitative and quantitative variables show the interfactor relationships. The multiple regression model explained 48.6% of the TAMB variations and estimated TAMB contamination of poultry meat according to the equation: Y= 0.477 X1 + (- 0.639) X2 + (- 0.557) X3 + (- 0.295) X4 +5.522; Y (TAMB in log10 CFU/g), X1 (faecal coliforms in log10 CFU/g), X2 (Before/after COVID-19), X3 (Turkey escalope), X4 (Carcass/cut). Identifying the factors associated with bacterial contamination of poultry meat is necessary to implement effective preventive measures in butcher shops, thus significantly reducing contamination levels and providing customers with high quality poultry meat.

Poultry meat is the primary meat consumed in Algeria, surpassing sheep and beef in the 1980s. However, this product is often at risk of being contaminated by Salmonella. Salmonellosis is a foodborne disease with tens of millions of human cases estimated to occur worldwide, and resulting in more than a hundred thousand deaths per year. According to the World Health Organization, salmonellosis in humans is generally contracted through the consumption of contaminated food of animal origin, including poultry. The main objective of this study was to investigate the risk factors associated with Salmonella contamination of broiler carcasses at the slaughterhouse. Sixty fresh chicken carcasses from six slaughterhouses were subjected to bacteriological analysis in accordance with AFNOR (French Standardization Association) standards. Statistical analyses showed an impact of the hygienic quality of the slaughter process on the likelihood of Salmonella contamination of poultry meat. A correlation (r=0.84) was found between hygienic slaughter practices and Salmonella contamination of chicken carcasses. The average level of TAMB (total aerobic mesophilic bacteria) was high in carcasses positive for Salmonella (t-test = 0.019). Not washing live bird transport crates was associated with an increasing risk of Salmonella contamination carcasses (odds ratio/OR = 28). The mean level of TAMB was higher in the presence of the following risk factors: old and small slaughterhouse, not washing live bird transport crates, manual bleeding, scalding type (soaking), non-renewal of scalding water, no disinfectant in water, no ventilation drying, no sanitary facilities. The identification of risk factors responsible for bacterial contamination of broiler meat is essential to determine the most effective methods of prevention.

The effect of excessive use of biocides during the COVID-19, on the resistance of Escherichia coli to Tobramycin in poultry, meat was examined in this observational epidemiological study (Before and after COVID–19). Tobramycin E. coli resistant strains isolated from poultry meat before COVID-19 appearance were compared with those isolated after COVID-19 emergence. Univariable analyses were performed using t-test and chi-squared test. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were used for statistically significant risk factor. Multivariate analysis was done with the binary logistic regression to detect an independent predictor, and with the principal component analysis (PCA), to analyze whether the Tobramycin resistance in E. coli was linked with the COVID-19 outbreak. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. The frequency of Tobramycin E. coli resistant isolates was more important after COVID-19 emergence (12.5%) than before COVID-19 (2.1%). Graphical representation of PCA qualitative variables shows the interfactor relationship. A significant relationship between Tobramycin E. coli resistance and COVID-19 emergence (P=0.014), and the effect of the emergence of COVID-19 on the Tobramycin E. coli resistance was OR = 6.57 (95% Confidence interval (CI) 1.61-7.94). The probability of Tobramycin E. coli resistance linked with poultry meat bought after COVID-19 was 1.88 times more than before COVID-19 emergence. Poultry meat purchased after COVID-19 found related to Tobramycin resistance in E. coli. It seems possible that the overuse of biocides during COVID-19 increased the risk of Tobramycin E. coli resistance in poultry meat.