Magnitude of extended-spectrum β-lactamase and carbapenemase producing Enterobacteriaceae among commonly vended street foods in Arba Minch town, southern Ethiopia

Background The rising prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ES beta L-PE) in street foods poses a significant risk to human health due to its epidemiological significance. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of foodborne Enterobacteriaceae that produce carbapenemase and ES beta L, as well as their patterns of antibiotic resistance, in the studied area.Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out from January 1st, 2023, to February 30th, 2023. One hundred randomly chosen street-vended food items (one hundred grams of each food item) were aseptically collected, and aliquots of 0.1 ml from the homogenized (25 g of samples into 225 ml of buffered peptone water (BPW)) were inoculated on MacConkey agar and Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate Agar (XLD). Enterobacteriaceae isolates were identified using various biochemical tests. ES beta L and carbapenemase were first screened by indicator cephalosporins and carbapenem antibiotics, respectively. ES beta L and carbapenemase were confirmed by a double-disc synergy test and modified carbapenem inactivation methods, respectively. Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was used for the antimicrobial-resistant test.Results A total of 112 Enterobacteriaceae belonging to six different genera were isolated. E. coli was attributed 39 (34.8%), followed by Citrobacter spp. 22 (19.6%) and K. pneumoniae 18 (16.1%), with only 8 (7.1%) isolated Salmonella spp. About 15.2% (n = 17) and 8.9% (n = 10) of Enterobacteriaceae were phenotypically confirmed to be extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ES beta L) and carbapenemase producers, respectively. The highest percentage of ES beta L-producing isolates was attributed to K. pneumoniae (n = 5), E. coli (n = 4), and Enterobacter spp. (n = 3). Proteus spp. and Salmonella spp. isolates were carbapenemase-negative. All carbapenemase-positive isolates were found to be ES beta L-producers. 70.6% (12/17) of ES beta L-producing Enterobacteriaceae were found to be multidrug-resistant (MDR).Conclusion A considerable number of multidrug-resistant ES beta L and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae were identified, suggesting that street foods may be a potential source of MDR foodborne infections. Consequently, it is important to conduct routine examinations of street food items and track trends in medication resistance.