Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Isolated from Street Foods: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Food safety and public health
• Microbiology and infectious diseases
• Environmental science and One Health

Background:

• Street foods are a potential transmission route for antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to humans.
• The presence of ARB in food poses significant challenges to medical care, animal husbandry, the food industry, and global public health.
• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing worldwide concern, necessitating research into various transmission pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and evaluate scientific reports on ARB isolated from street foods.
• To identify the prevalence and types of ARB found in street food samples globally.
• To assess the resistance patterns of these bacteria to various antibiotics.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
• Searched six electronic scientific databases for full-text articles published between January 2015 and April 2024.
• Included 17 papers that met predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Main Results:

• Seventeen papers reported the presence of ARB in street foods, with prevalence ranging from 5.2% to 70.8% across different countries.
• Commonly resistant bacteria included *Escherichia coli*, *Staphylococcus*, *Salmonella*, and *Klebsiella*.
• High resistance was observed for ampicillin, ceftriaxone, and tetracycline; however, ceftazidime, clavulanic acid, and vancomycin showed 100% susceptibility in some studies.

Conclusions:

• Street foods are a significant reservoir and potential vehicle for ARB, posing considerable health risks to consumers.
• The widespread multidrug resistance in bacteria isolated from street foods underscores the urgent need for integrated
• A coordinated
• One Health
• approach is crucial to effectively combat the global threat of AMR.