Antimicrobial Resistance Profile of <i>Escherichia coli</i> and <i>Salmonella</i> Isolated from Meat Sold in Sokoto Central Market, Sokoto State

Abstract

This study was designed to isolate and identify Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. from raw-meat samples, on retail in the Sokoto  central market and test their susceptibility to commonly prescribed antibiotics. Meat samples (n=40) were randomly collected from  selected retail spots within the Sokoto metropolis, pre-enriched in buffered peptone water and incubated at 37°C for 12 hours. Pre- enriched samples were streaked on MacConkey agar and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. The isolates were subjected to a series of  biochemical tests for characterization and subsequent antimicrobial sensitivity testing using the disc diffusion method. Of the 40 samples  collected, 7 were contaminated with E. coli and Salmonella spp. Antibiotic sensitivity testing showed that E. coli and Salmonella  spp isolates were both resistant to chloramphenicol (10µg), ampicillin (30µg), amoxicillin (30µg), cefuroxime (30µg) and norfloxacin  (10µg) In conclusion, this study showed that E. coli and salmonella spp. isolates from raw beef sold in Sokoto open market were multiple  drug resistant strains which underscores a public health concern.