Antimicrobial Resistance Phenotype of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli Isolates Obtained from Meat in the Formal and Informal Sectors in South Africa

Background. Foodborne diseases (FBD) caused by resistant pathogens are a global public health problem. One main driver of the increasing FBD incidence is the transfer of pathogenic organisms from animal guts to carcasses during processing and subsequent transfer from meat products to consumers. Methods. In this study, meat samples from abattoirs in the formal meat sector (FMS) (n=140) and slaughter points in the informal meat sector (IMS) (n=104) were collected for microbial detection and phenotypic AMR determination using polymerase chain reaction. Results. The antibiogram of Staphylococcus aureus isolates revealed that resistance to clindamycin (74.3%) and ampicillin (59.5%) was highest in the FMS, while resistance to penicillin (83.8%) and tetracycline (82.1%) was highest in the IMS. Escherichia coli isolates show significant resistance to chloramphenicol (90.7%) and tetracycline (82.3%) in the FMS. Likewise, resistance to tetracycline (92.3%) and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (87.5%) was highest in the IMS. The multiple antibiotic resistance index (MARI) for S. aureus and E. coli ranged from 0.3 to 0.8 and 0.2 to 0.5, respectively. Conclusion. This study suggests high-level contamination of meat with resistant pathogens and highlights the public health consequences associated with consuming such unhygienic products.