Research Article
Clement Yaw Effah*, Benjamin A
Abstract
MRSA is an emerging zoonotic organism that has gained attention in public health because of their disease causing abilities. They have been implicated in most food contaminations and foodborne infections. Despite these importance’s, little is known on the MRSA situation in the meat consume in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana. This study assessed the MRSA prevalence in meat sold at various retail outlets in the Cape Coast Metropolis. One hundred meat samples were obtained from pigs, chicken, cattle and goats from various retail points in the Metropolis. The total viable count, MRSA isolation and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of the isolates were performed following standard procedures. Overall, a prevalence of 45% (45/100) MRSA isolates was phenotypically detected in this study. Although the sample sizes were different, pork recorded the highest MRSA isolates of 47.6% (20/42). Sixteen (16) out of 45 MRSA isolates were Multi-drug resistant. All the isolates were resistant to all the antibiotics used except for Vancomycin. The prevalence of MRSA isolates in raw meat in most of the retail outlets in this study gives a warning signal for possible occurrence of food borne infections capable of producing outbreaks in the district.