ANALYSIS OF MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE PATTERNS IN MILK SUPPLY CHAIN: MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE PATTERNS IN MILK

Farhana Rinky; Sompa Reza; Abira Nowar; Supriya Ghosh; Asma Rahman; Sharmin Rumi Alim

doi:10.3329/brc.v10i1.70686

Authors

Farhana Rinky Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Sompa Reza Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Abira Nowar Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Supriya Ghosh Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Asma Rahman Food Nutrition and Agriculture Research Division, Centre for Advanced Research in Sciences (CARS), University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Sharmin Rumi Alim Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3329/brc.v10i1.70686

Keywords:

Milk Supply Chain, Multi-antibiotics Resistance, Virulence Genes, Residual Antibiotics

Abstract

The widespread consumption of milk for its nutritional value and health benefits brings the risk of milk-borne diseases due to the presence of various microorganisms, including antibiotic-resistant pathogens. This has led to an increased focus on ensuring the safety of milk products across the supply chain by dairy industries. The study aimed to evaluate microbiological parameters and detect multi-antibiotic-resistant pathogens at three specific supply points and to explore the association between the presence of residual antibiotics and the resistant isolates in milk samples. About 50 milk samples, including raw, soon-after-processed, packaged marketed pasteurized, and UHT milk, were subjected to microbiological analysis. This involved assessing the total bacterial count (TBC) and total coliform count (TCC), conducting antibiotic susceptibility tests through disk and well diffusion assays, detecting virulence genes in multi-antibiotic resistant isolates using gene-specific PCR, and analyzing residual antibiotics by HPLC. The study revealed that the quality of raw milk samples was unacceptable (TBC >4.5x10⁷ CFU/mL and TCC >5.6x10⁴CFU/mL), while pasteurized samples from processing plants had lower counts than those from retail stores (TBC >5x10⁵ CFU/mL and TCC >1.6x10⁴CFU/mL) indicating post-pasteurization contamination. About 70.37% of the isolates were Gram-negative, with Escherichia coli (21.4%) and Vibrio (18.8%) being the most prevalent. Resistance to antibiotics was substantial, particularly against ampicillin (86.3%), tetracycline (76%), and ciprofloxacin (58.9%). Gene-specific PCR analysis detected uidA, oprL, and oprI virulence genes in multi-drug-resistant Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas sp. respectively. The study also revealed a direct association between the presence of residual antibiotics and the resistant isolates, emphasizing the need for dairy industry improvements. As high bacterial counts in milk can pose health risks by fostering antibiotic-resistant pathogens, it is essential to mitigate microbiological contamination in the milk supply chain through the implementation of various precautionary measures.

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