Phenotypic and genotypic detection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in fresh fruit juices from a public hospital in...

Gram-negative bacteria are worrisome because they are becoming resistant to many antibiotic available options, mainly in hospital environment. Several studies have noted the presence of bacteria producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamase, with the presence of antibiotic-resistance genes in fresh vegetables and fruits. This study aimed to detect the presence of phenotypic and genotypic resistance in eight samples of fresh fruit juices served to patients admitted to a hospital in Rio de Janeiro. The growth of microorganisms on MacConkey and XLD agar was carried out to obtain a "pool" of Gram-negative bacteria. The disk diffusion test and the polymerase chain reaction were performed to detect the phenotypic and genotypic resistance of Gram-negative bacteria to the tested antibiotics. The multidrug resistance was detected in all samples and the shv, tem, ctx, tetA, tetB and oxa- 48 genes were found in the samples, including the presence of class 2 and 3 integrons. We can conclude that the selection methodology allows the detection of a greater number of genes and this found warns about the risk of making these foods available to patients in hospitals.