Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in street-vended tomato sauces in Dhaka, Bangladesh

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and antimicrobial resistance patterns, with particular emphasis on methicillin resistance, among isolates from street-vended tomato sauces in Dhaka, Bangladesh. RESULTS: Among 104 street-vended tomato sauce samples, 83 (79.8%; 95% Cl: 71.1-86.4%) were S. aureus isolates confirmed. Of these, 38 (45.8%) identified as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, 5 (6.0%) vancomycin-resistant S. aureus, 55 (66.3%) multidrug resistance, and 2 (2.4%) extensively drug-resistant. The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index ranged from 0.08 to 0.75 (mean ± SD = 0.38 ± 0.12), with 60 (72.3%) isolates exceeding the high-risk threshold (≥ 0.2). Methicillin-Resistant isolates showed significantly higher index values than susceptible isolates (p = 0.003). Co-resistance observed between oxacillin-cefoxitin (φ = 1.00) and meropenem-amikacin (φ = 0.96). Elevated resistance index values were more frequently observed among isolates from slum and transport-hub areas.