Antimicrobial Resistance, Enterotoxin and Gene Profiles of Associated with Beef-Based Protein Sources from KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.

Annually, approximately 23,000 cases of food poisoning by enterotoxins are reported worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence and characterize on beef and beef products in South Africa. Organ meats ( = 169), raw processed meat ( = 110), raw intact ( = 53), and ready-to-eat meats ( = 68) were obtained from 25 retail outlets. was isolated and enumerated according to the ISO 6888-1 method. Identification of the strains was performed by MALDI-TOF MS. The antimicrobial resistance was determined using the disc diffusion test. The presence of methicillin-resistance genes and the staphylococcal enterotoxin genes was determined by PCR. Prevalence was low (13/400; CI 1.7-5) and all but one positive sample were from organ meats. Eight isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic. Two isolates carried the gene. All the isolates tested positive for , , , and , whilst 53.8% were positive for . None of the isolates was positive for , , , , or . The prevalence of was low, with organ meats being the most contaminated. The presence of -positive MRSA and of enterotoxins warrants further investigation and risk assessment.