Vol. 11, Issue 12 (2022)

Aim: This study was carried out to determine the prevalence and multidrug resistance phenotypes of Bacillus cereusin raw chicken meat and swabs of human subjects collected from urban and peri urban areas of Navsari city of South Gujarat.

Methods: A total of 280 samples, contained 175 raw chicken meatand 105 swabs comprising 35 each, from Handlers’ hands, Butchers’ knives and Chopping boards were collected and analyzed as per standard microbiological procedures. Recovered42 isolates identified and confirmed as B. cereus were subjected to antibiogram assay using 16 selected antibiotics by agar disc diffusion method.

samples (30/175 and 12/105) were positive for B. cereus with a prevalence of 17.14% and 11.42% B. cereus isolates respectively, and isolates also amplified group specific (groEL) gene and species specific (gyrB) gene by PCR. All the 42 isolates exhibited complete to moderate resistance phenotypic pattern to Penicillin G, Ampicillin, Trimethoprim, Cefotaxime and Ceftazidime followed by Clindamycin. The susceptibility of 42 B. cereus isolates showed significant difference in Pearson Chi-Square test (p < 0.01), which indicates the importance of different antimicrobial agents tested against the isolated bacterium. The susceptibility of isolates was significantly high towards Tetracycline, Chloramphenicol, Imipenem, Streptomycin and Amikacin followed by Gentamicin, Ciprofloxacin, Vancomycin, Erythromycin, Cefoperazone and Clindamycin.

Conclusion: This study indicates the prevalence and possible presence of multidrug resistant B. cereus in animal origin food and environment in high proportion is of public health significance.