Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Food Hygiene Department, Collage of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Kalyobiya, 13637, Egypt
2
Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI), Shibin El Kom branch, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Egypt
3
Meat Hygiene and Control Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University
4
Food Hygiene Department, Collage of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Kalyobiya, 13637, Egypt.
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a major contributor to zoonotic diseases worldwide, primarily caused by the contamination of food with enterotoxins. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence and ability of S. aureus bacteria to produce enterotoxins in meat meals served at governmental hospitals in Menoufia, Egypt. A total of 120 random samples of meat meals, consisting of 30 each of grilled chicken, fried chicken, grilled meat, and fried meat, were obtained from a restaurant in a governmental hospital. In all, 25.6% of the analyzed samples were found to be contaminated with S. aureus. The latter was most commonly recovered from grilled chicken (36.7%), followed by fried chicken (26.7%), grilled beef (23.3%), and fried meat (16.7%). The average bacterial count (CFU/g) of S. aureus in grilled chicken, fried chicken, grilled meat, and fried meat were 15.9×103±2.6×103, 8.12×103±2.04×103, 6.63×103±1.51×103, and 2.97×103±0.39×103, respectively. The prevalence of S. aureus strains capable of producing enterotoxins (SE) was found to be 29.0%. Among the examined isolates, SEA was the most commonly detected enterotoxin, accounting for 13.3% of the isolates. This was followed by SEC (10.0%), SED (3.3%), and a combination of SEA and SED (3.3%). Additional Staphylococcus species, such as Staphylococcus xylosus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus intermedius, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus, were isolated at variable rates. The investigation revealed isolation of enterotoxigenic S. aureus strains from meat meals served in governmental hospitals, emphasizing the potential risks they pose to public health. Therefore, strict hygienic measures should be adopted during preparation of meat meals served at hospitals.
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