Risk Assessment of Methicillin- and Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Raw and Cooked Chicken Meat

(1) Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has emerged as a critical foodborne pathogen, posing a significant threat to public health due to its multidrug resistance. In this study, we investigated the prevalence, antibiotic resistance, and virulence factors of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in raw and cooked chicken meat. (2) Methods: In total, 200 raw and cooked chicken meat samples were analyzed for S. aureus using phenotypic and molecular methods. Isolates were screened for antimicrobial susceptibility, enterotoxins, and biofilm formation, with the statistical analysis among the results. (3) Results: From 200 samples, 26% were contaminated with S. aureus, with mean counts reaching 2.08 × 10⁴ CFU/g in raw and 7.37 × 10² CFU/g in cooked samples. Furthermore, 41.67% of the 96 S. aureus isolates were identified as MRSA, with 5.2% exhibiting vancomycin resistance. A high prevalence of multidrug resistance was observed, particularly against erythromycin, oxacillin, and ampicillin. In addition, the enterotoxin-encoding genes sea and seb were recovered from 47.92% and 28.13% of the isolates, respectively. Furthermore, 83.33% of the isolates demonstrated biofilm-forming capabilities, a factor associated with increased antibiotic resistance. Quantitative risk assessment revealed a non-negligible probability of illness associated with the consumption of contaminated chicken meat, highlighting the need for stringent food safety measures to mitigate this public health risk. (4) Conclusions: The high prevalence of MDR-MRSA in retail chicken is considered to have potential public health implications, suggesting the need for antibiotic stewardship in the poultry industry.