Occurrence of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in street-vended beverages accessible in an industrial zone of Bangladesh

The street-vended fruit beverages are considered as a source of disease causing microorganisms despite their high consumer demand and nutritional value. The study was conducted for the assessment of antibiotic resistance food-borne 29 pathogens in street-vended fruit beverages available in an industrial zone of Bangladesh. A total of 50 samples constituting five different types of street-vended fruit beverages were collected from Gazipur city of Bangladesh. All the samples were examined for total viable microbial count followed by isolation, identification and antibiogram profile of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The total viable microbial counts ranged from 2.3 to 8.9 log cfu/ml suggesting a significant bacterial load that exceeds the maximum permitted level of microbial load for freshly extracted fruit juices. Of the 50 samples, 29 (58.0%) appeared as Staphylococcus aureus positive and 24 (48.0%) samples were contaminated with Escherichia coli. Antibiogram profile revealed Staphylococcus aureus resistance to penicillin (82.8%), amoxicillin (75.9%) and oxacillin (17.2%). The resistance to β-lactam antibiotic like oxacillin indicates the presence of highly pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus which is obviously a potent public health issue. In the contrary, Escherichia coli isolates were resistant to amoxicillin (100%) and erythromycin (100%). All the isolates were found highly susceptible to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. The antibiotic resistance pattern of the isolated organisms could complicate the treatment of food-borne illness in people. Development of a holistic approach and their effective application could ensure the hygienic quality of these beverages as well as the health standard of the consumers.