Multidrug resistance, biofilm formation and detection of blaCTX-M and blaVIM genes in E. coli and Salmonella isolates from chutney served at the street-food stalls of Bharatpur, Nepal
Sanjib Adhikari,
Ramesh Sharma Regmi,
Sanjeep Sapkota,
Sujan Khadka,
Nitendra Patel,
Sandhya Gurung,
Divya Thapa,
Prabina Bhattarai,
Prakriti Sapkota,
Ranjana Devkota,
Albert Ghimire,
Komal Raj Rijal
Affiliations
Sanjib Adhikari
Department of Microbiology, Birendra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Bharatpur, Chitwan 44200, Nepal; Central Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu 44618, Nepal
Ramesh Sharma Regmi
Department of Microbiology, Birendra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Bharatpur, Chitwan 44200, Nepal; Central Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu 44618, Nepal
Sanjeep Sapkota
Department of Microbiology, Birendra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Bharatpur, Chitwan 44200, Nepal; Corresponding author.
Sujan Khadka
Department of Microbiology, Birendra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Bharatpur, Chitwan 44200, Nepal
Nitendra Patel
Department of Microbiology, Birendra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Bharatpur, Chitwan 44200, Nepal
Sandhya Gurung
Department of Microbiology, Birendra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Bharatpur, Chitwan 44200, Nepal
Divya Thapa
Department of Microbiology, Birendra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Bharatpur, Chitwan 44200, Nepal
Prabina Bhattarai
Department of Microbiology, Birendra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Bharatpur, Chitwan 44200, Nepal
Prakriti Sapkota
Department of Microbiology, Birendra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Bharatpur, Chitwan 44200, Nepal
Ranjana Devkota
Department of Microbiology, Birendra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Bharatpur, Chitwan 44200, Nepal
Albert Ghimire
Department of Microbiology, Birendra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Bharatpur, Chitwan 44200, Nepal
Komal Raj Rijal
Central Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu 44618, Nepal
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) amid the bacteria found in ready-to-eat foods is a grave concern today warranting an immediate intervention. The current study was undertaken to explore the status of AMR in E. coli and Salmonella species in ready-to-eat Chutney samples (n = 150) served at the street food stalls in Bharatpur, Nepal, with a major focus on detecting extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and metallo β-lactamase (MBL) genes along with biofilm formation. Average viable counts, coliform counts, and Salmonella Shigella counts were 1.33 × 106±141481.4, 1.83 × 105±91303.6, and 1.24 × 105±63933.19 respectively. Out of 150 samples, 41 (27.33%) harbored E. coli, of which 7 were E. coli O157:H7; whereas Salmonella spp. were found in 31 (20.67%) samples. Bacterial contamination of Chutney by E. coli and Salmonella and ESBL-production were both found significantly affected by different sources of water used, personal hygiene and literacy rate of the vendors as well as by the type of cleaning materials used to wash knives and chopping boards (P < 0.05). Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed that imipenem was the most effective drug against both types of bacterial isolates. Additionally, 14 (45.16%) Salmonella isolates and 27 (65.85%) E. coli isolates were found to be multi-drug resistant (MDR). Total ESBL (blaCTX-M) producers reported were 4 (12.90%) Salmonella spp. and 9 (21.95%) E. coli. Only 1 (3.23%) Salmonella spp. and 2 (4.88%) E. coli isolates were blaVIM gene carriers. Dissemination of knowledge of personal hygiene amongst the street vendors and consumer awareness regarding ready-to-eat foods are crucial factors that can be suggested to curtail the emergence and transmission of food-borne pathogens.
