Prevalence and Antibiotic Resistance of Selected Foodborne Pathogens in Beef Sold Within Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract

Foodborne pathogens pose significant food safety risks and understanding their presence and resistance patterns is crucial for public health interventions. This study assessed the prevalence and antibiotic resistance profiles of selected foodborne pathogens in raw beef samples from Kumasi Abattoir and Kejetia Market in the Kumasi Metropolis in Ghana. Beef samples were analyzed for Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was conducted to determine resistance profiles. The study revealed the varying prevalence of the pathogens, with B. cereus detected in 27.55% of the samples, L. monocytogenes in 55.41%, and Escherichia coli in 59.91%, respectively. Approximately 76% of all samples had at least one of the three bacteria, with microbial loads above bacteria-specific acceptable standards. Most of the E. coli strains were positive for ESBL, while all B. cereus and L. monocytogenes strains were multidrug resistant with multiple antibiotic-resistant indices of more than 0.2. Nine and four AMR patterns emerged in the L. monocytogenes and B. cereus strains, respectively. Regular surveillance is needed to monitor the prevalence and AMR profiles of foodborne pathogens to prevent potential foodborne outbreaks, influence regulatory and policy changes, plan AMR stewardship programmes, and maintain the confidence of consumers in meats for sale.