Laboratory Diagnostic Methods and Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of and Strains: An Evolving Human Health Challenge.

Raw ground meat is known as a transmission vehicle for biological agents that may be harmful to human health. The objective of the present study was to assess microbiological quality of the ground meats. A total of 280 samples of local and imported chilled meats were randomly collected from retail shops in Buraydah City, Saudi Arabia. The meat samples were microbiologically analyzed using standard methods, peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) technique, MicroScan Walkaway System (MicroScan) and qPCR System. The imported meat was more bacterially contaminated than local meat, with variable contamination degrees of (40.33%), (36.13%), (7.56%), spp. (6.72%), spp. (5.88%) and spp. (3.36%). PMF verified all the isolated bacteria by 100%, compared to 75-95% achieved by MicroScan. The gene encoding flagellin () was recognized in 67.44% of strains, while the thermonuclease () and methicillin resistance (A) genes were detected in 100% and 39.6% of methicillin-resistant (MRSA) strains, respectively. The and strains were highly resistant to multiple antibiotics (e.g., ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cephalothin). For identifying various foodborne pathogens, PMF has been recognized as a powerful and precise analytical method. In light of the increasing use of PMF to detect multidrug-resistant bacteria, this study emphasizes the need for improved ways of treating and preventing pathogens, as well as setting up monitoring systems to guarantee hygiene and safety in meat production.