Detection and Antibiotic Susceptibility Profile of Bacterial Pathogens Isolated from Food Cutting Boards in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

We investigated bacterial pathogens on restaurant cutting boards using phenotypic and molecular methods, and determined their antibiotic susceptibility. A total of 32 samples were collected from polyethylene cutting boards in the kitchens of 16 restaurants in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A total of 29 bacterial strains were isolated and identified, including <i>Salmonella</i> spp. (<i>n</i> = 11), <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>n</i> = 10), <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (<i>n</i> = 6), and <i>Listeria</i> spp. (<i>n</i> = 2). Of the 32 cutting boards, 9 (28.1%) harbored at least one bacterial species, 7 (21.9%) had two species, and 2 (6.2%) carried three species. Notably, the detection of two pathogens directly from raw samples using quantitative polymerase chain reaction with high-resolution melting (qPCR-HRM) was significant: <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> was identified in two samples by phenotypic methods but in 18 samples by qPCR-HRM, while <i>E. coli</i> was found in 10 samples by phenotypic methods and in 29 samples by qPCR-HRM. Antibiotic resistance was another concern, especially for <i>L. monocytogenes</i> strains, which exhibited high resistance to all tested antibiotics. Additionally, multidrug-resistant strains were identified, including a <i>S. aureus</i> strain with strong potential to be methicillin-resistant. Our findings underscore the importance of molecular methods for detecting specific pathogens on food-processing surfaces, highlighting the need for improved monitoring and control measures in restaurant kitchens.