Prevalence and Antibiotic Resistance of Salmonella sp., E. coli O157, and L. monocytogenes in Meat and Dairy Products

Abstract

Bacteria-related food poisoning is the most prevalent cause of food borne diseases, reaching up to 33 percent of the incidents. The study aimed to provide data for the risk assessment processes focusing on poisoning due to the consumption of foods of animal origin. Bovine meat, chicken meat, white cheese, and kosher samples were collected from five different stores in Tekirdağ, Turkey, monthly for twelve consecutive months, from January 1 to December 31, 2019. Ten samples of bovine meat, ten samples of chicken meat, ten samples of white cheese, ten samples of kosher cheese, weighing 300 grams each, were collected at each monthly visit. The total number of samples collected for the study was 480. Results showed that 4,16% of the samples (n=12) were contaminated with Salmonella sp. (n=12), Escherichia coli O157 (n=4), and Listeria monocytogenes (n=6). Antibiotic sensitivity studies revealed that the microorganisms were resistant to 8 different antibiotics. Despite the low number of pathogens isolated, their presences with the high antibiotic resistance rates pose a significant threat to public health.