Antimicrobial Resistant Pathogens Detected in Raw Pork and Poultry Meat in Retailing Outlets in Kenya

Abstract

There is increasing proof of bacterial resistance to antibiotics all over the world, and this puts the effectiveness of antimicrobials that have been essential in decreasing disease mortality and morbidity at stake. The WHO has labeled some classes of antimicrobials as vitally important to human health. Bacteria from animals are thought to be reservoirs of resistance genes that can be transferred to humans through the food chain. This study aimed to identify the resistance patterns of bacteria from pork and poultry meat samples purchased from leading retail outlets in Kenya. Of the 393 samples collected, 98.4% of pork and 96.6% of poultry were contaminated with high levels of bacteria. Among the 611 bacterial isolates recovered, 38.5% were multi-drug resistant. This resistance was noted for critically essential antimicrobials (according to the WHO) such as rifampicin (96%), ampicillin (35%), cefotaxime (9%), cefepime (6%), and ciprofloxacin (6%). Moreover, there was high resistance to key antimicrobials for veterinary medicine such as tetracycline (39%), sulfamethoxazole (33%), and trimethoprim (30%). It is essential to spread awareness about the judicious use of antibiotics and take preventive measures to reduce disease burden.

Antibiogram of food borne pathogenic bacteria isolated from raw pork and beef meat

“…Several studies have reported that the most common foodborne pathogens associated with pork and meat are Salmonella spp., S. aureus, E. coli, and Proteus spp. [23][24][25].…”

“…According to Van Boeckel et al [41], antimicrobials used in animal production (especially in poultry and pigs) remain key contributors to AMR. We expect their uses to exponentially increase due to the expansion of intensive production systems to meet the increasing demand for animal-sourced foods (ASFs) and the surge in disease burdens [24,40].…”

“…During animal slaughter and food processing, antimicrobial-resistant bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract of animals can contaminate meat, contaminate the environment with animal faeces, and subsequently spread to humans through handling, consuming contaminated food, or coming into contact with animal waste. This can lead to antimicrobialresistant intestinal infections [24]. Human pathogens, which are normally specific to humans, can sometimes transfer resistant genes from animals.…”