Detection of genes conferring resistance on multi antibiotic resistance bacteria isolated from ready to eat foods sold in the Nigerian defence academy, Kaduna, Nigeria

Abstract

Food has always been the means by which disease-causing organisms are transmitted to man. This study sought to isolate multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria from ready to eat food (RTE) sold within Nigerian Defence Academy. Eight (8) food samples were collected from five (5) vendors and spread plate technique was adopted for bacteria isolation from the food samples. Twenty-five (25) bacteria isolates were obtained from the food samples and subjected to antibiotic sensitivity assay using Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. Eight (8) of the isolates exhibited various degrees of resistance to the tested antibiotics. All the isolated bacteria in this study were susceptible to the effect of Quinolones antibiotics and were resistant to cefuroxime, cefotaxime and Ampiclox. Six (6) of the isolates that showed multi-antibiotic resistance were characterized by 16SrRNA gene sequencing as Bacillus cereus strains (0083 and HYM76), Staphylococcus aureus strain MRSA252, Lactobacillus murinus strain AMB_10 and Listeria Spp. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and agarose gel electrophoresis detection of four (4) antibiotics resistance genes – Aminoglycoside adenylyltransferase (AADA1), Acridine (ACRA), Chloramphenicol Resistance  (CMLA) and Erythromycin (ERM(C)) – produced the following results: AADA1 genes were amplified in Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus; ACRA gene was detected in all the selected isolates; CMLA gene was detected in Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus murinus and Bacillus cereus while ERM(C) gene was present in Staphylococcus aureus.