Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in poultry meat

Subject Areas : Food and Agricultural Spoilage

Seyed Ali Mousavi-Firoozabadi ¹ , Ebrahim Rahimi ²

1 - -Department of Food Hygiene, ShK.C., Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
2 - Department of Food Hygiene, ShK.C., Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran

Received: 2024-04-17 Accepted : 2025-01-06

Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin, antibiotic, poultry meat,

Abstract :

Food contamination can occur directly through animals infected with bacteria or as a result of poor hygiene practices during production and distribution processes, as well as from food handlers. Poultry meat contamination with Staphylococcus aureus, particularly methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA), is considered a major concern in the field of food safety and public health. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains, determine antibiotic resistance patterns, and perform molecular confirmation of the mecA gene in chicken, turkey, and duck meat samples. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 150 poultry meat samples were randomly selected and tested. Bacterial isolation was performed using standard microbiological and biochemical methods, and antibiotic susceptibility was determined using the disk diffusion method. The mecA gene was identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Out of 150 samples, 24 (16%) were contaminated with S. aureus, among which 13 (8.66%) were identified as MRSA strains. Chicken meat showed the highest contamination rate (20%), while duck meat had the lowest (12%). The highest levels of resistance in MRSA strains were observed against oxacillin (84.53%) and erythromycin, whereas the lowest resistance was reported against furazolidone and vancomycin. The findings of this study suggest that poultry meat, especially chicken, could serve as a potential source of MRSA transmission to humans. Accurate molecular detection and strict monitoring of antibiotic usage in the livestock and poultry industry are crucial steps toward controlling antimicrobial resistance and improving food safety.

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