Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in food in Ho Chi Minh City

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterium that commonly found in various environments, including food, soil, and water. The significant concern is it’s resistance to many antimicrobial agents and it’s role in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. This study investigated P. aeruginosa contamination in food products in Ho Chi Minh City and found the following contamination rates: pork (44.8%; 13/29), beef (38.5%; 10/26), fish (30.0%; 9/30), chicken (25.9%; 7/27), street drinks (25.9%; 7/27), shrimp (17.9%; 5/28), raw milk (10.7%; 3/28). The highest average quantity of P. aeruginosa contamination was observed in beef samples, with over 104 CFU/g, while shrimp samples had the lowest, nearly 103 CFU/g. Among the 94 isolates examined, 63 were sensitive or showed intermediate resistance to ten antimicrobial agents. Resistance was observed in 32 isolates, with the hightest resistance rates to aztreonam (28.9%), followed by ciprofloxacin (11.7%), and gentamicin (2.1%). The antimicrobial resistance rates of P. aeruginosa isolates varied by food type: pork (27.6%), fish (16.7%), shrimp (10.7%), chicken (7.4%), street drinks (7.4%), and beef (3.9%). All P. aeruginosa isolates from raw milk were sensitive to the tested antimicrobials. The findings suggest a need for stricter regulations to control P. aeruginosa contamination in food products. Further research is also recommended to explore the potential for transmission of drug resistance genes from P. aeruginosa in contaminated food.