Antibiotic resistance of Enterobacteriaceae isolated from the domestic food related environments

Background: Multidrug resistant Enterobacteriaceae which was confined to the hospital environments is now emerging in the domestic food related environments as well. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of antibiotic resistant Enterobacteriaceae in the domestic food related environments. Methods: Resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, tetracycline, nalidixic acid, nitrofurantoin, and trimethoprim was evaluated in 125 isolates; collected in domestic food related environments using agar micro dilution method. Results: Results indicated that 49.6% of the isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic (32.8% to ampicillin, 6.4% to nitrofurantoin, 4% to tetracycline, 3.2% to nalidixic acid, 2.4% to chloramphenicol and 1.7% to trimethoprim). Resistance to multiple antibiotics was observed in 6.4% of the isolates. Conclusion: This study implicates existence of antibiotic resistant Enterobactericeae in the domestic food related environments. This resistance phenomenon requires continual vigilance; and further studies are required to evaluate the role of domestic surfaces in the transmission of resistant pathogens and spread of infectious diseases.