<i>Shigella</i> Serogroups, Entro-Hemoragic <i>E. coli</i> and Their Antibiogram Pattern Among Food Handlers in Food-Handling Establishments in Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Food-borne illnesses have a dramatic impact both in developing and developed countries. Food handling personnel take part in the transmission of pathogenic food born bacteria in the community. Shigella and E. coli 157:H7 are more significant and well-recognized foodborne pathogens for reasons of their severe consequences of all age groups, high antibiotic resistance and their low infectious dose. Accordingly, food-handlers employing in meal serving facilities could be potential sources of infections of these enteric bacterial pathogens. Community based cross-sectional study was carried out from July 2014 to June 2015 to assess the sero-group and antimicrobial resistance pattern of enteric bacterial pathogens in Wolaita Sodo town among 398 food-handlers working in selected food handling establishments. Pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to collect Socio-demographic characteristics and associated factors. Stool specimens were collected by a clean, dry, wide-mouthed container. Stool culture was done using differential, selective and enrichment medium. Analytical Profile Index 20E biochemical panel was used for identification and differentiation of members of enteric bacterial pathogens. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done by single disk diffusion technique. Data entry and analysis were done using SPSS version 20. 11 Shigella species and 24 E. coli O157:H7 isolates were detected. S. flexneri, S. sonnei, S. dysenteriae, and S. boydii isolates were isolated. A significant proportion of Ampicillin and Amoxicillin were noticed for all enteric bacterial pathogens. Multidrug resistances prevalence of 72.7%, and 58.3% were observed for Shigella, and E. coli O157: H7 respectively. Raw meat eating habit, hand washing after toilet and hand washing after touching dirty materials have shown significant association with enteric bacterial pathogens prevalence. Shigella and E. coli species were identified from fecal specimen. Significant proportion of multidrug resistances was detected in Shigella and E. coli O157: H7 respectively. Thus screening of food handles is important in order to prevent the transmission of enteric bacterial pathogens and treatment needs to be based on accurate laboratory detection of etiologic agents to mitigate the spread of drug resistant strains.

Prevalence of enteric bacteria and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns among food handlers in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia

“…In this study, EHEC (1.9%) was found to be in agreement with the study conducted in Ethiopia and India with the prevalence rate of 1.8 and 1.3%, respectively [7, 14]. However, this finding was higher than the study conducted in Kenya (0.1%) [21] and lower than the previous studies conducted in Ethiopia, Iran and Finland with a prevalence of 6.03, 34.5, and 9%, respectively [8, 22, 23]. The varying detection rates may be explained by differences in the study population and laboratory methods.…”

“…The minimum sample size was calculated based on the assumption of 5% expected margins of error and 95% confidence interval, taking the prevalence of enteric bacteria (8.7%) from the previous study which was conducted in WolaitaSodo town [8] using a single population proportion formula. Since the total number of the source population was less than 10,000, correction formula was used to adjust and it gives 95.…”

“…Stool samples were directly inoculated onto MacConkey agar, Salmonella-Shigella agar and Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate agar after enrichment with Selenite cystine broth and incubated at 37 °C for 18–24 h. After incubation, isolates were characterized by following the standard biochemical test, including triple sugar iron, Hydrogen sulfide production, indole production and motility in sulfide-Indole-motility medium, citrate utilization, lysine decarboxylase in simmon’s citrate agar, and urease production [10]. The E.coli isolates were also sub-cultured onto Sorbitol MacConkey agar to identify Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) and colorless colonies (nonsorbitol fermenter) were serologically confirmed using IGM antibodies to E. coli O157:H7 [8]. All the biochemical media were obtained from Oxoid Ltd., (Basingstoke, UK).…”

“…Most of the studies conducted in Ethiopia were institution based, for instance a hospital-based Summary report by the Ministry of Health revealed that the annual incidence of food-borne illnesses ranged from 3.4 to 9.3%, the median is 5.8% [5]. Furthermore, studies conducted in different parts of the country documented that Salmonella spp , Shigella spp , Escherichia coli , and Staphylococcus aureus were the most common isolates from food handlers with a high rate of drug resistance to the commonly used antibiotics [6–8]. However, there are limited data in Gondar town.…”

Prevalence of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 and Associated Factors in Under-five Children in Eastern Ethiopia

“…The prevalence of E.coli infection was in agreement with the prevalence report of study (14%) in Bahir-Dar town, Ethiopia [12] and it is comparable with study (20%) in Benin City, Nigeria [10]. However, it is higher than the report of a study conducted in central Ethiopia in 2017 [18] and southern Ethiopia [19]. It is also much higher than studies conducted in other African countries [20,21].…”