Identification and Phenotypic Antibiotic Resistance of <i>Escherichia coli </i>and<i> Staphylococcus aureus </i>Strains Isolated from Fresh and Braised Beef Meat in Abidjan

The conditions of processing, distribution and sale of beef expose it to various contaminations. These contaminations can be potentially pathogenic microorganisms that would in this case represent a risk to the health of consumers. This study aims to identify potentially pathogenic strains of <i>Escherichia coli</i> and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> present in fresh and braised beef, as well as to determine their phenotypic antibiotic resistance profiles. Thus, 300 samples, including 100 samples of fresh beef from the slaughterhouse, 100 samples of fresh beef from the market and 100 samples of braised beef or "choukouya", were collected in Abidjan. <i>Escherichia coli</i> and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> were isolated and identified using biochemical and molecular methods. Microbiological analyses revealed that 100% of the fresh beef samples from the slaughterhouse and market were contaminated with <i>E. coli</i> and <i>S. aureus</i>. Braised beef had a contamination rate of 6% (<i>E. coli</i>) and 30% (<i>S. aureus</i>). A total of 144 (92.9%) out of 155 <i>Escherichia coli</i> strains and 76 (57.6%) out of 132 <i>Staphylococcus</i> strains were confirmed as <i>Escherichia coli</i> and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, respectively, after molecular identification. The prevalences of <i>E. coli</i> and <i>S. aureus</i> in slaughterhouse meat were 92.5% and 84.2%, respectively. They were 93.8% and 59.4% in fresh meat and 100% and 38.6% in braised beef. The susceptibility of the strains to antibiotics was assessed by the agar diffusion method. Strains isolated from fresh slaughterhouse and market meats were more resistant to the antibiotics tested. Only one strain (0.7%) producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) was detected in Escherichia coli, and no methicillin resistance was observed in <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>.