Antibiotic Resistance and Detection of Blatem and MecA Genes in Bacteria Isolated from Street Vended Pounded Yam in Yenagoa, Nigeria

Abstract

Antibiotic resistant pathogens spread through food are a public health concern. The aim of this study was to determine the profile of antibiotic resistance and to investigate the presence of genes that produce antibiotic resistance in bacterial isolates from pounded yam collected from five sites in Yenagoa, Nigeria (Swali, Amarata, Kpansia, Tombia, and Akenfa). The Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was used to examine antibiotic susceptibility to nine antibiotics (Augmentin, Ofloxacin, Chloramphenicol, Ampicillin, Erythromycin, Gentamycin, Nitrofuratoin, Streptomycin and Tetracyclin), and the PCR method was utilized to find the blaTEM and mecA genes. A total of 150 pounded yam samples were collected and analyzed. Shigella spp, Bacillus spp, Staphylococcus spp, Pseudomonas spp, Salmonella spp, Klebsiella spp, Proteus spp, and Escherichia coli are among the bacteria that were recovered from the pounded yam samples. Except for Pseudomonas spp., all tested positive for multidrug resistance (resistance to three or more tested antibiotics), with the majority of these antibiotics being Chloramphenicol, Ampicillin, Erythromycin, Gentamycin, Nitrofuratoin, Streptomycin, and Tetracyclin. The Escherichia coli isolated from the street-vended pounded yam exhibited multidrug resistance against Ampicillin (37.5%), Erythromycin (43.8), Gentamycin (34.4), Streptomycin (21.9) and Tetracyclin (40.6). Bacillus spp also showed multidrug resistance against Chloramphenicol (36.4), Ammpicillin (36.4), Erythromycin (45.5), Gentamycin (36.4), Nitrofuratoin (36.4), Streptomycin (27.3) and Tetracyclin (36.4). Inhibition zones against Augmentin, Ofloxacin, Chloramphenicol, Ampicillin, Erythromycin, Gentamycin, Nitrofuratoin, Streptomycin, and Tetracyclin were clearly visible in Pseudomonas spp (100, 96.4, 64.3, 50.0, 82.1, 75.0, 64.3, 92.9, and 50.0% respectively). The highest resistance by number of bacterial isolates was found in Erythromycin (6 isolates showed resistance), followed by Tetracyclin (5 isolates showed resistance). Ampicillin and Streptomycin resistance was present in four isolates. Three representative isolates were selected for molecular identification of blaTEM and mecA which were amplified at 600bp and 500bp respectively. These genes were responsible for the antibiotic resistance seen in the isolates. According to this study, the pounded yam samples that were evaluated had food-borne disease strains that are multidrug resistant and a danger to the general public's health. The findings cast doubt on the quality of foods sold on the streets of Yenagoa, Nigeria.