Journal of Research in Environmental Health

Journal of Research in Environmental Health

Antibiotic Resistance and agr Typing of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Ready-to-Eat Chicken Meat and Salads in Hormozgan, Iran

Document Type : Original quantitative and Qualitative Research Article

Authors
Mohammad Sohrabi 1
Majid Gholami-Ahangaran 2
Najmeh Vahed-Dehkordi 1
1 Department of Food Hygiene, Shk.C., Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Veterinary, Shk.C., Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
10.22038/jreh.2026.27789
Abstract
Background and Objective: Staphylococcus aureus is a significant foodborne pathogen known for its extensive antibiotic resistance capabilities. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between phenotypic and genotypic resistance patterns and determine the diversity of the accessory gene regulator (agr) system in isolates recovered from chicken meat and cold salads (Olivier and Caesar) in Hormozgan, Iran.

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 130 samples including chicken meat (n=75), Olivier salad (n=30), and Caesar salad (n=25) were analyzed. Following bacteriological isolation and species confirmation, the phenotypic susceptibility of 48 isolates was tested against 11 antibiotics. The presence of 11 resistance genes (including ermA/C, msrA/B, tetK/M, aacA-D, vatA/B/C, and linA) and agr types were evaluated using conventional PCR.

Results: Out of 130 samples, 48 (36.92%) were positive for S. aureus, with the highest contamination rate found in Olivier salad (56.66%). Phenotypically, the highest resistance was observed against Azithromycin and Clindamycin. Molecular results revealed that the ermC gene was the most prevalent resistance marker. Regarding the regulatory system, agr IV was the predominant genetic profile (35.4%, 17 cases), followed by agr II (27%) and agr I (20.8%).

Conclusion: The findings indicate a high microbial load and an alarming prevalence of MDR strains dominated by the agr IV genotype in RTE foods. These results emphasize the need for stricter monitoring of personnel hygiene and the processing chain of RTE salads to mitigate the risk of transmitting resistant bacteria to consumers.
 
Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywords
Staphylococcus Aureus
Antibiotic Resistance
Agr Typing
Food Safety
Chicken Meat
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