Virulent methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in street vended foods

• Published in: Journal of food science and technology Vol. 56; no. 3; pp. 1116 - 1126
• Main Authors: Sivakumar, M., Dubal, Zunjar B., Kumar, Ashok, Bhilegaonkar, Kiran, Vinodh Kumar, Obli Rajendran, Kumar, Suman, Kadwalia, Anukampa, Shagufta, Bi, Grace, M. R., Ramees, T. P., Dwivedi, Anamika
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Delhi Springer India 01.03.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Cefoxitin; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chemistry/Food Science; Drug resistance; Eggs; Food; Food quality; Food safety; Food Science; Food sources; Foodborne diseases; Genetic diversity; Meat; Methicillin; Nutrition; Original; Original Article; Oxacillin; Penicillin; Public health; Staphylococcal enterotoxin A; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus infections; Traffic safety; Virulence; Food safety; Street vended foods; MRSA; India
• ISSN: 0022-1155; 0975-8402
• DOI: 10.1007/s13197-019-03572-5

Street foods are one of the important sources of foodborne infections and Staphylococcus aureus is an important infectious agent transmitted through various sources including street foods. The methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) are of public health significance, hence the study was taken to assess the street foods as a source of MRSA, for which 430 street vended foods of animal origin (meat, milk, eggs and their products) and associated environmental samples were processed for isolation and characterization. A total of 52 (12.1%) S. aureus were isolated and resistant was observed to oxacillin (36.5%), cefoxitin (25%) and penicillin G (82.7%) by disc diffusion test. On genotypic screening, mec A and blaZ have detected in 17.3% and 69.2% isolates, respectively. The virulence typing identified nuc , coa , clfA , spA , FnbA and enterotoxin A ( sea ) genes in 100%, 96.2%, 30.8%, 55.8, 50% and 7.7% isolates, respectively. Genetic diversity among the isolates was observed by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR with a D value of 0.77. The presence of virulent MRSA in street vended foods trigger the public health concern and emphasis to educate the consumers and street food vendors about quality and safety of such foods.