Prevalence and Multidrug Resistance Pattern of Methicillin Resistant S. aureus Isolated from Frozen Chicken Meat in Bangladesh

Abstract

Infections by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are continuously expanding within the community. Chicken meat is usually contaminated by MRSA, and this contaminated chicken meat is an important source of foodborne infections in humans. In this study, a cross-sectional supershop survey was conducted to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance pattern of MRSA in 113 domestic frozen chicken meat samples purchased from nine branded supershops available in five divisional megacities of Bangladesh. The study also focused on the determination of methicillin resistance gene in MRSA isolates. S. aureus was identified by standard culture-based and molecular methods, and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing. MRSA was screened by cefoxitin disk diffusion test. Methicillin resistance gene was identified by PCR. Of samples, 54.9% were positive for S. aureus, and, of these, 37.1% isolates were identified as MRSA. All the isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR): 52.2% were resistant to 6–8 antimicrobial classes, and 47.8% isolates to 9–12 classes. Three (3.2%) isolates of S. aureus were possible extensively drug resistant. The highest rates of resistance were observed against cefoxitin (100%), followed by nalidixic acid, ampicillin and oxacillin (97.7%), colistin (91.3%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and amoxicillin (87%), penicillin-G and cloxacillin (82.6%), oxytetracycline (78.3%), and cefixime (73.9%). Screening of methicillin resistance gene revealed that 43.5% isolates of MRSA were positive for mecA gene. The high prevalence of MDR MRSA in frozen chicken meat samples in this study emphasizes the need for better sanitary education of food handlers in hygienic practices focusing on their potential role as reservoirs and spreaders of MRSA.

Antibiotic Usage and Resistance in Food Animal Production: What Have We Learned from Bangladesh?

“…The E. coli isolated from chicken meat samples were found resistant against multiples antibiotics, such as oxytetracycline, amoxicillin, ampicillin, trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, pefloxacin, tetracycline, and carbapenems [ 69 , 70 ]. S. aureus showed wide-ranging resistance against cefoxitin, nalidixic acid, ampicillin, oxacillin, colistin, amoxicillin–clavulanic acid, amoxicillin, penicillin-G, cloxacillin, oxytetracycline, and cefixime [ 71 ]. Studies detected Salmonella and S. aureus in chicken egg content and eggshell surface.…”

Molecular detection of vancomycin and methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from food processing environments

“…Multidrug-resistant MRSA has been detected in animals and animal-derived food products (such as frozen chicken meat and processed raw meat) in Bangladesh. [ 36 , 37 ]. In addition, S. aureus has been isolated from raw milk samples in Bangladesh, in which mastitis is known to be a major problem [ 38 ].…”

Spatial and temporal dynamics of microbiomes and resistomes in broiler litter stockpiles

“…Interestingly, HT-qPCR analysis detected persistent prevalence albeit low abundances of the methicillin resistance gene mecA , which is associated with methicillin resistance S. aureus (MRSA). Previous reports have demonstrated the prevalence and frequency of these difficult to treat pathogens in poultry litter, whose presence is linked to antibiotic usage [76] , [77] .…”