Bacterial load assessment and multi-drug resistant Bacteria isolation from Fuchka in Mymensingh City, Bangladesh

Fuchka, a popular street food across Bangladesh and the Indian subcontinent, poses potential public health risk due to substandard hygienic practice during preparation and handling. This study evaluated the microbiological quality of <i>fuchka</i> and its associated components and identified food-borne bacteria with their antibiogram profiles within a One Health framework. 60 samples including fuchka, salad, hand wash, and dish wash water were collected from street vendors, shop, and restaurants within the Mymensingh City Corporation area (4 samples × 15 sites). Microbiological assessments included total viable count, total coliform count, and total staphylococcal count. Isolates were identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF-MS), and antibiotic susceptibility profiles were determined. The highest bacterial load was found in shop-based <i>fuchka</i> samples (10.5 ± 4.7 log CFU/g) while the lowest was in restaurant hand wash. Statistically significant differences were observed in TCC and TSC (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05) across categories, with restaurant samples showing the lowest levels. In total 123 bacterial isolates were recovered, predominately <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> (24.4 %), followed by <i>Staphylococcus</i> spp., <i>Escherichia coli</i>, <i>Enterobacter</i> spp., and <i>Citrobacter freundii</i>. Resistance to amoxicillin was observed in 100 % of Gram-negative isolates. Multidrug resistance was identified in 90 % of <i>K. pneumoniae</i>, 57 % of <i>E. coli</i>, 50 % of <i>Staphylococcus</i> spp., and 8.7 % of <i>Enterobacter</i> spp., with no MDR detected in <i>C. freundii</i>. The MAR index ranged from 0.1 to 0.6. These findings highlight urgent public health concerns and emphasize the need for integrated food safety strategies under the One Health approach.