Food handlers: a bridge in the journey of enterotoxigenic MRSA in food

Abstract

We investigated the presence of enterotoxigenic and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a kitchen of a catering firm by collecting 100 food samples and 100 utensil-equipment samples after sanitation. Additional 186 samples in total were collected by swabbing the mouths, noses and hands of 62 kitchen staff members during working hours. The isolation of S. aureus was performed using a culture method and verified by using a genetic method (PCR). The presence of toxin genes and the toxic shock syndrome gene (tst) was analyzed by PCR. ELISA was used to investigate whether the isolates bearing a toxin gene that produces enterotoxin or not. In this research we obtained 1930 isolates from 386 samples. Using molecular typing by PCR, 842 Staphylococcus spp. were found of which 307 (36.4 %) were identified as S. aureus. 198 (64.4 %) of the S. aureus strains were identified as CoA positive and 89 (28.9 %) as MRSA. Our data demonstrate the presence of MRSA and enterotoxigenic S. aureus in a catering kitchen providing daycare and hospital refectories. Given the facts that the rate of kitchen staff members contaminated with enterotoxigenic strains was rather high and that the kitchen contained S. aureus even after sanitation and that there was uneducated staff and insufficient hygiene practices aroused suspicions of the presence of biofilms and/or multi-resistant strains which could manifest a serious public health concern.

Prevalence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Classical Enterotoxin Genes Among Sudanese Food Handlers

“…Also the study showed that 42% of S. aureus carried the mecA gene (MRSA). This finding is higher than Sezer et al, 2015 [ 19 ] (28.9%), and lower than Loeto et al, 2007 (57.5%) in Botswana [ 20 ]. The high prevalence of MRSA could be due to the extensive usage of antibiotics in the Al Jazirah community without prescription.…”

Carriage rate and methicillin resistance of Staphylococcus aureus in food handlers in Kars City, Turkey

“…It is possible that the worker can contaminate or carries one strain from her/his nasal cavity to her/his mouth or/and hand or vice versa. Earlier study (Sezer et al 2015 ) report that carriage rate of S. aureus among food handlers was 79 %. However, there are other studies indicating much lower prevalence among food handlers in Turkey.…”

Antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus spp. in swine farming: a challenge for one health

“…The presence of S. aureus in raw or processed pig meat and the contamination of these bacteria between food handlers and these foods have been described in the literature (BUYUKCANGAZ et al, 2013;CASTRO et al, 2016;CHON;SUNG;KHAN, 2017;COSTA et al, 2015;FALL et al, 2012;SEZER et al, 2015).…”

“…However, the origin of S. aureus is not associated exclusively with pigs or to their environments of growth and slaughter, or to handlers of these animals, but also to handlers that assist in the production and processing of meat products. Persistent or intermittent nasal colonization by S. aureus have been found in 30% to 50% of healthy individuals (SERGELIDIS;ANGELIDIS, 2017;CASTRO et al, 2016;SEZER et al, 2015;COSTA et al, 2015;FERREIRA et al, 2014;KLUYTMANS, 2010).…”