Ability to produce biofilms and antibiotic resistance of coagulase-negative Staphylococci isolated from meat-based street foods

Aims: This study investigated the biofilm-producing ability and antibiotic resistance profiles of Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) bacteria isolated from meat-based street foods in Biskra, Algeria. Methods and Results: The study identified 50 CNS isolates, including S. lentus, S. xylosus, S. hominis, S. haemolyticus, S. lugdnensis, and S. capitis, using the Api Staph and Vitek systems. The Vitek method was employed for in vitro antibiotic susceptibility testing, while biofilm formation was evaluated using the Tissue Culture Plate (TCP) and Congo Red Agar (CRA) methods. Results indicated that 64% of the coagulase-negative staphylococci strains exhibited multiple drug resistance, with the highest biofilm formation observed in S. hominis under fed batch mode. Conclusions: The study highlights the high prevalence of multidrug-resistant and biofilm-forming coagulase-negative staphylococci bacteria in meat-based street foods. These bacteria pose a potential health risk, acting as reservoirs for the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria from food to humans, thereby contributing to the spread of resistan pathogens in the community.