Phenotypic and Genotypic Assessment of Antibiotic Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteria Isolated from Retail Meat

BACKGROUND: Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria are determined to be one of the main causes of foodborne diseases. PURPOSE: This survey was done to assess the genotypic and phenotypic profiles of antibiotic resistance of S. aureus bacteria isolated from retail meat. METHODS: Four-hundred and eighty-five retail meat samples were collected and examined. S. aureus bacteria were identified using culture and biochemical tests. The phenotypic profile of antibiotic resistance was examined using the disk diffusion method. The genotypic pattern of antibiotic resistance was determined using the polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Forty-eight out of 485 (9.89%) raw retail meat samples were contaminated with S. aureus. Raw retail buffalo meat (16%) had the highest incidence of S. aureus, while raw camel meat (4%) had the lowest. S. aureus bacteria exhibited the uppermost incidence of resistance toward tetracycline (79.16%), penicillin (72.91%), gentamicin (60.41%), and doxycycline (41.666%). The incidence of resistance toward chloramphenicol (8.33%), levofloxacin (22.91%), rifampin (22.91%), and azithromycin (25%) was lower than other examined antibiotics. The most routinely detected antibiotic resistance genes were blaZ (58.33%), tetK (52.08%), aacA-D (33.33%), and ermA (27.08%). Cat1 (4.16%), rpoB (10.41%), msrA (12.50%), grlA (12.50%), linA (14.58%), and dfrA1 (16.66%) had the lower incidence rate. CONCLUSION: Raw meat of animals may be sources of resistant S. aureus which pose a hygienic threat about the consumption of raw meat. Nevertheless, further investigations are essential to understand supplementary epidemiological features of S. aureus in retail meat.