Enteric Bacterial Infections, Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern, Intestinal Parasites, and Associated Factors Among Food Handlers in Yabelo Town, Borena Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Foodborne illnesses are the main cause of morbidity and mortality in the twenty-first century, and food handlers are the main source of these illnesses. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasites, enteric bacteria, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, and associated factors among food handlers working in a food and drinking establishment in Yabelo town, Borena zone, Southern Ethiopia, in 2022. METHODS: A facility-based cross-sectional study design was employed to assess the food handler's state of health. Data were gathered using semistructured questionnaires and observational checklists, and 396 regular stool samples were collected. Samples were examined with microscopy and bacteriological culture to isolate enteric bacteria. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 26 The factors that had a P-value of