Assessing the Public Health Implications of Virulent and Antibiotic‐Resistant Bacteria in Côte d’Ivoire’s Ready‐to‐Eat Salads

Abstract

In Côte d'Ivoire, the popularity of ready-to-eat salads has grown substantially. Despite their convenience, these products often face criticism for their microbiological safety. This research was conducted to assess the virulence and antibiotic resistance profiles of <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. coli</i>), <i>Salmonella spp</i>., and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (<i>S. aureus</i>) isolated from salads available in hypermarkets across Abidjan. The study utilized a combination of microbiological and molecular biology techniques. Results indicated that <i>E. coli</i> isolates harbored virulence genes such as <i>stx2</i> (50%) and <i>ST</i> (62.50%), though genes <i>stx1</i> and <i>LT</i> were absent in the samples tested. In <i>S. aureus</i>, virulence genes detected included <i>sea</i> (55.55%), <i>sec</i> (11.110%), and <i>sed</i> (44.44%). The antibiotic resistance assessment revealed high resistance in <i>E. coli</i> to <i>β</i>-lactam antibiotics, with all isolates resistant to cefuroxime (100%) and the majority to ampicillin and cefoxitin (87.5%). Most <i>Salmonella spp.</i> isolates were sensitive to the antibiotics tested, except for cefoxitin and ampicillin, showing resistance rates of 42.85% and 57.15%, respectively. <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> demonstrated considerable resistance, particularly to cefoxitin (44.44%), benzylpenicillin (100%), and ampicillin (55.55%). In addition, resistance to aminoglycosides (55.55% to both kanamycin and gentamicin) and macrolides (66.66% to erythromycin and 55.55% to clindamycin) was noted. Resistance to various fluoroquinolones ranged between 33.33% and 55.55%. The presence of resistance genes such as <i>blaTEM</i> (10.52%), <i>qnrA</i> (2.26%), <i>qnrB</i> (5.26%), <i>qnrS</i> (5.26%), and <i>mecA</i> (13.15%) in <i>E. coli</i> and <i>S. aureus</i> underscores the challenge of multidrug resistance, exhibiting phenotypes such as ESBL (50%), Meti-R (55.55%), KTG (44.44%), MLSB (44.44%), and FQ-R (25%). These results carry significant epidemiological and public health implications, highlighting the urgent need for improved safety regulations and practices regarding ready-to-eat salads in urban food markets.