article · Infection and Drug Resistance
A cross-sectional survey evaluated bacterial contamination and antibiotic resistance in fresh milk, yoghurt, milk containers, and drinking cups in Debre Berhan Town, Ethiopia. From 120 collected samples, 80 bacterial isolates were identified. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were the most prevalent, each accounting for 21.3 percent of the isolates, followed by Staphylococcus epidermidis, Klebsiella species, and Salmonella species. Fresh milk and yoghurt each yielded 28.8 percent of the total isolates. Every isolate was resistant to at least one antibiotic, with high resistance rates recorded for widely prescribed local antibiotics and lower rates for newer therapies. In total, 65 percent of isolates were multidrug-resistant, a quarter were resistant to eight or more antibiotics, and over 40 percent of tested isolates were confirmed as extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producers. These patterns were linked to inadequate hygiene and sanitation practices.
Bacterial contamination in staple dairy items presents serious foodborne disease risks for consumers. The high prevalence of multidrug-resistant and enzyme-producing pathogens is especially concerning, as it renders standard, widely available antibiotics ineffective. These findings highlight that substandard hygiene and handling in local dairy supply chains can directly accelerate the community transmission of challenging, drug-resistant infections.
The abstract does not indicate a commercialisation pathway or direct product development. The findings instead provide early-stage surveillance evidence that could inform requirements for dairy hygiene monitoring tools, container sanitisation systems, or rapid diagnostic screening tests for food safety regulators and commercial milk distributors.
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Background: Bacterial contamination of milk is a primary culprit for causing foodborne illnesses, presenting a significant health hazard for millions of individuals around the globe. The level and variety of microorganisms present in raw milk determine its degree of contamination and the potential health risks it poses. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to August. A questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics and hygiene practices from milk distributors and traders. Raw milk, yoghurt, swabs from milk containers and drinking cups were collected and processed for bacterial isolation and identification, antibiotic susceptibility testing, MDR screening and confirmation, ESBL screening and confirmation. Finally, all data were pooled and analyzed using SPSS software version 25. Results: A total of 120 samples of fresh milk, yogurt and cotton swabs from milk containers and cups were collected. A total of 80 bacterial isolates were isolated from 120 samples. Among the bacteria isolated, S. aureus 17 (21.3%), E. coli 17 (21.3%), S. epidermidis 14 (17.5%), Klebsiella spp. 9 (11.3%) and Salmonella spp. 7 (8.8%) were detected most often. High rate of contamination was observed in fresh milk 23 (28.8%) and yogurt 23 (28.8%). All isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic tested. Comparatively, high rates of resistance were observed in all isolates to the most commonly prescribed antibiotics in Ethiopia. However, lower rates of resistance have been observed for recently introduced antibiotics in Ethiopia. Of the isolates, 20 (25.0%) were resistant to eight or more antibiotics. While 16 (20.0%), 12 (15.0%), 9 (11.3%) isolates were resistant to two, three and five antibiotics, respectively. Of the bacteria isolated, 52/80 (65.0%) were MDR, 25/49 (51.0%) were screened for ESBL production, and 20/49 (40.8%) isolates were confirmed as ESBL producer. Conclusion: This study showed a high rate of bacterial isolates along with MDR and ESBL-producing strains in raw milk, yoghurt, milk container swabs and drinking cup swab samples, associated with poor hygiene and sanitation practices. Keywords: bacterial contamination, multidrug-resistance, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase, raw milk, yoghurt, milk contact surface
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DOI: 10.2147/idr.s418793
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