Investigation ‌of antibiotic resistance patterns in Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus isolated from traditional cheeses in Jolfa county

Traditional cheese is one of the most popular types of cheese in the western regions of Iran. Contamination of cheese with pathogenic microorganisms can pose a risk to human health and result in significant economic losses. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and to determine their antibiotic resistance patterns in traditional cheeses produced in Jolfa County. 60 samples of traditional cheese were randomly collected from shops in Jolfa County. To examine the presence of the targeted microorganisms according to national food standards, the study utilized Giolitti-Cantoni broth, Baird-Parker agar, blood agar, and Mueller-Hinton agar, as well as diagnostic and biochemical tests for bacterial species confirmation. The antibiotic resistance pattern against six antibiotics was determined. The results indicated that all samples were contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Additionally, among the Staphylococcus aureus isolates, the highest antibiotic sensitivity was to amikacin at 66.67%, while the highest resistance was to cefixime at 75%. In case of Escherichia coli, the highest antibiotic sensitivity was also to amikacin at 100%, and the highest resistance frequency for this bacterium was reported for azithromycin at 25%. The results of the present study showed that the condition of traditional cheeses in Jolfa County is highly undesirable, and awareness regarding the proper use of traditional products is essential in preventing health and treatment issues, including gastrointestinal diseases.