Microbiological Profile of Raw Meat of Kathmandu Valley and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of the Bacterial Isolates

Abstract

Foods are the important vehicle for food borne pathogens. Improper sanitary and unhygienic practices adopted during slaughtering, processing and storage promotes the growth of several pathogens of meat which increases the incidence of food borne disease. In order to find out bacterial flora of raw meat along with their antibiotic susceptibility pattern the study was conducted from December 2010 to May 2011atthe Central Department of Microbiology. During this studyperiod72buff meat samples from different localities of Kathmandu valley were collected and subjected to bacteriological investigation.The bacteriological quality of raw meat was evaluated by total mesophilic count and coliform count. Few gram negative potential pathogens were also detected and antibiotic susceptibility profile of isolates was described. In this research work total bacterial count, total coliform count along with isolation and identification of Salmonella was carried out by standard microbiological methods.From this study the mesophilic bacterial load were found from 1.1×10 cfu/gm-1.1×10 7 cfu/gm. Similarly total coliform count were found form <30cfu/gm-8.9×10 6 cfu/gm.Several bacteria were isolated during the study period which includeEscherchia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Citrobacter fruendii, Salmonella Typhiand other Salmonella. Among the isolates E.coli was found to be most predominant among all gram negative bacteria. The results of antibiotic susceptibility test showed that majority of the isolated gram negative bacteria were sensitive to Amikacin, Cotrimoxazole, Chloramphenicol, Nalidixic acid, Tetracycline.Some isolates of E.coli, Citrobacter, Enterobacter and Klebsiella oxytoca were reported as Nalidixic acid resistant. Nearly all samples were found to be contaminated with elevated load of coliform bacteria showing unhygienic practice during slaughtering process;however,the gram negative isolates were susceptible to common antibiotics. Key words: Raw meat, mesophilic count, coliform count, Salmonella, antibiotic susceptibility