Isolation, Molecular Identification and resistant profile of Aeromonas hydrophila from Chicken Meat

Aeromonas hydrophila have recently received great attention due to their link with serious diseases in humans if transmitted through food, as well as their exceptional ability to withstand harsh environmental conditions.The study aimed to investigate the presence of A. hydrophila in chicken meat and determine their potential resistance to antibiotics. One hundred and twenty-one samples of chicken meat were collected from Dohuk, Erbil, and Sulaymaniyah, cities in northern Iraq. Traditional methods were used, including culture and biochemical tests, then molecular confirmation by amplifying the 16S rRNA gene, and then all isolates were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing. The results showed that 30/121 (24.79%) of the samples were contaminated with A. hydrophila. The results of the antibiotic resistant profile revealed that (90%) of the isolates were resistant to cephalothin, and (83.33%) were resistant to amoxicillin and tetracycline. Most of the isolates also showed sensitivity to ceftriaxone, cefixime, nitrofurantoin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol and trimethoprim in different proportions. The results of this study indicate that the presence of A. hydrophila in poultry meat samples poses a major health risk and may cause foodborne diseases, thus increasing the possibility of causing foodborne diseases. Therefore, it is important to pay more attention to these bacteria, and strict hygienic practices must be adopted to reduce bacterial contamination.