Antimicrobial resistance pattern of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the food industry

Area of Science:

• Food safety and public health
• Microbiology and antimicrobial resistance
• Veterinary and human medicine

Background:

• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a significant public health risk due to its high incidence and multidrug resistance.
• MRSA strains have been isolated from food products, food environments, and food handlers, raising concerns about foodborne transmission.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the antibiotic susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus strains from food, food handlers, and processing environments.
• To detect the presence of the mecA gene, indicative of methicillin resistance, in isolated S. aureus strains.

Main Methods:

• Collected 1007 samples from food, food handlers, and food-processing environments.
• Analyzed samples for the presence of S. aureus, identifying methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and MRSA isolates.
• Assessed the susceptibility of S. aureus isolates to 14 antibiotics and screened for the mecA gene.

Main Results:

• S. aureus was detected in 165 out of 1007 samples.
• Eight MRSA strains were identified, with four harboring the mecA gene.
• All MRSA strains exhibited resistance to at least one antibiotic, and six showed multidrug resistance.

Conclusions:

• The prevalence of resistant S. aureus and the detection of MRSA in the food chain underscore the critical importance of antimicrobial resistance surveillance.
• Findings support the prudent use of antibiotics and the development of international control programs to mitigate the spread of MRSA.
• This study provides valuable data on antimicrobial resistance patterns of S. aureus in the food production chain.