| Summary: | Master (Animal Health), North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2017 The aim of this study was to identify and characterise foodborne pathogens and their antibiotics resistance profiles in ready-to-eat meat sold around Johannesburg Central Business District, Gauteng Province. To achieve this objective, an observation study was performed before sampling, in order to understand the general practices and knowledge of street-vended meats in terms in food hygiene and safety. Data obtained from the observational study was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. The analysis revealed that bad hygiene practices occurred more frequently than good hygiene practices. Exposure of food to dust and flies in the three streets studied provided the following results: 93.63% around the MTN-taxi rank; 77.42% around Bree Street (comer Claim Street); and 44.67% at Hancock Street (corner Claim Street). Washing of hands was poorly observed in the study. The frequency of the presence of stagnant water (P>0.05), exposure of food to flies and dust (P>0.05) and of the usage of polythene bags for serving food (P<0.05) was significantly different across the three streets sampled. The results revealed poor hygiene practices of street-vended foods. There is, therefore, a need to enforce training in terms of street-vended food. The study also revealed that there is a need for good hygiene practices, proper handling of food, as well as a clean vending place to ensure good quality and safe food. A total of 115 samples from street-vended foods such as chicken meat, chicken gizzard, beef intestines, beef head meat and wors were randomly collected across the different streets sampled during the study. Meat samples were analysed for microbial contamination using the conventional biochemical test as well as molecular methods based on l 6S rRNA (DNA extraction, PCR amplification, and sequencing). All the samples analysed based on biochemical test in this study were found to have been contaminated with different bacterial pathogens such as Staphylococcus spp, Bacillus cereus and Bacillus spp, an indication of the need for strict implementation and follow-up of food hygiene practices in order to reduce the risk of contamination of street foods, which emphasises a need to reduce the risk of transmission of pathogens on the consumption of street food. The total bacterial count obtained for the samples collected around MTN taxi-rank ranged from 9.6 x 10-2 to 1.9 x 10-2 cfu/ml, coliform count ranged from 2.9 x 10-2 to 1.0 x 1 o-2 CFU/ml in chicken gizzard and from 9.9 x 10·2to 3 x 10-2 cfu/ml, and coliform count ranged from 2.9 x 10-2 cfu/ ml to 1.0 x 10-2 cfu/ml in beef intestine samples. For samples collected around Bree Street ( corner Claim Street), the total bacterial count ranged from 9.1 x 10-2 cfu/ ml to 1.4 x 10-2 cfu/ ml while the total coliform count ranged from 2.4 x 10-2 cfu/ ml to 1.1 x 1 o-2 cfu/ ml in wors meat samples. The total bacterial count in chicken meat ranged from 9. 7 x 10-2 to 1.1 x 10-2 CFU/ml while the total coliform count ranged from 3.0 x 10-2 to 1.0 x 10-2 CFU/ml. For samples collected at Hancock Street (corner Claim Street), the total bacterial count ranged from 9.7 x 10-2 to 2.9 x 10-2 CFU/ml, while the total coliform count ranged from 2.9 x 10-2 to 1.1 x 10-2 CFU/ml in beef head meat samples. The total bacterial count of all the samples stood as 10-2, which is classified as acceptable for ready-to-eat meat and meat products; the total coliform count also stood at 10-2• The mean bacterial count was significantly different across (MTN-taxi rank) and Bree Street (corner Plein Street) (P< 0.05). The mean bacterial count was also significantly different between chicken meat and beef head meat, chicken gizzard and chicken meat, and chicken gizzard and wors (P< 0.05). No statistically significant difference in the mean coliform count across the type of meat (P>0.05). Molecular characterisation revealed the contan1ination of almost all food samples with different bacteria such as Kurthia sp (7.143%), Staphylococcus aureus (25.0%), Bacillus cereus (10.71%), Macrococcus caseolyticus (14.29%), Bacillus sp (7.143%), Bacillus thurigiens (3.571 %), Staphylococcus vitulinus (3.571 %), Bacillus subtilis (3.571 %), Planomicrobium glaciei (3.571 %), Planococcus antarcticus (3.571 %), Citrobacter sp (3.571%), Staphylococcus equorium (3.571%), Enterococcus faecium (3.571%) and Enterococcus faecalis (3.571 %). This could be a potential public health danger. Some of the isolated bacteria are well-known to be the causative agent of food-borne diseases. There is, therefore, a need to improve the sanitation and hygienic condition conditions of street foods and to evaluate public health implication. The presence of Staphylococcus aureus in food is an indication of poor handling practices among street vendors and the degree of ignorance relating to proper hygienic practices. Isolated bacteria were evaluated for their antibiotic resistance profiles against eight common antibiotics (Ampicillin, Tetracycline, Chloramphenicol, Erythromycin, Ciprofloxacin, Streptomycin and Sulphonamides), using the disc diffusion method as described by Kirby-Bauer. The antibiotic tests performed on the selected isolates revealed varying degrees of resistance to different antibiotics, and most of the bacterial isolated were found to be resistant to Ampicillin, Tetracycline and Chloramphenicol. The multidrug resistance observed among the bacteria in this study might be due to contamination from meat, or from the environment. These types of foods contaminated with multidrug resistance microorganisms could be potential vehicles for the transmission of foodborne infections among consumers and could cause serious public health problems. Conclusion: The study revealed the contamination of street foods with different bacteria, and some of them are known to be implicated in food poisoning such as Bacillus cereus, Bacillus sp., and Staphylococcus aureus. The bacteria isolated in this study revealed different rates of multiple drug resistance. The surveillance of antimicrobial resistance needs to be strengthened on food pathogens. Masters
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