Microbiological Contamination of Retail Meat from Mizoram (India) with Special Reference to Molecular Detection and Multi-Drug Resistance of Escherichia coli

Mujesh Debbarma; Devajani Deka; Thingujam ChaaTolenkhomba; Justus B Rajesh

Mujesh Debbarma Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, Mizoram: 796015, India
Devajani Deka Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, Mizoram: 796015, India
Thingujam ChaaTolenkhomba Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, Mizoram: 796015, India
Justus B Rajesh Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl, Mizoram: 796015, India

Keywords: E. coli, Microbial Contamination, Molecular Detection, Multidrug Resistance, Retail meat.

Abstract

Food articles serve as a common vehicle for transmitting many pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms to humans, and many of these organisms may have developed multidrug resistance. Meat may act as a vehicle for transferring multi-drug-resistant organisms to the consumers. In the present study, a total of 180 (retail beef, N = 90 and chicken meat, N = 90) samples were collected from 3 districts of Mizoram and analyzed for the level of microbial contamination, isolation, and molecular detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and its drug resistance pattern. Unacceptable levels of total viable count (TVC) and Escherichia coli count (ECC) were recorded in retail beef and chicken. On PCR assay-based confirmation, E. coli was detected in beef (83.33%) and chicken (80.00%). Significantly (p ≤ 0.01) lower prevalence of E. coli was recorded in chicken meat from Champhai district (63.33%) than Aizawl (86.67%) and Kolasib (90.00%) districts. Resistance of E. coli strains to amoxicillin was highest with detection of MDR E. coli from beef (42.67%) and chicken (56.94%), indicating public health concerns.