Profil Resistensi Antimikroba dan Deteksi Gen sea pada Staphylococcus aureus yang Diisolasi dari Pangan Siap Saji

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen that can cause infections through the skin and respiratory tract and cause foodborne intoxication through heat-stable enterotoxins in ready-to-eat foods. In recent years, S. aureus has become a significant public health concern due to its alarming rise in antibiotic resistance, complicating the treatment of linked infections. The current research aimed to isolate S. aureus from RTE foods at food stalls in Bogor, Indonesia, characterize their antimicrobial resistance and enterotoxicity profiles. S. aureus isolation followed ISO 6888-1:2021, and antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using the Kirby-Bauer method. The resistance-coding genes and the enterotoxin gene were detected by polymerase chain reaction. Out of 25 isolates from 25 RTE samples, 12 (48%) were confirmed as coagulase-positive S. aureus (CPSA). Phenotypic data for antibiotic resistance showed that 75% (9/12) of CPSA isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic, and 8.3% (1/12) were resistant to multiple antibiotics. Fifty percent (6/12) of the isolates showed resistance to ßlactam, 25% (3/12) to erythromycin, 16.7% (2/12) to chloramphenicol, 16.7% (2/12) to cefoxitin, respectively. All isolates (12/12) were susceptible to tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, and cephalothin. PCR detected three antimicrobial resistance genes: blaZ (91.7%), mecA (16.7%), and msrA (25%). Notably, discrepancy in genotypic and phenotypic resistance percentages to ß-lactam antibiotics suggested inducible or suppressed gene expression. Overall, CPSA isolates carrying the sea gene were detected in 12% (3/25) of presumptive S. aureus isolates from ready-to-eat foods, highlighting the potential for enterotoxin-mediated food poisoning. The occurrence of AMR S. aureus in RTE foods may serve as reservoirs or vehicles for the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant genes in the human gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, this research emphasizes the need for improved hygiene practices and continuous surveillance to alleviate the spread of antimicrobial resistance and foodborne illnesses.