Ice Cream a Possible Method of Spreading Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogenic

Bacteria in the Community K.S. Ghenghesh1, N. El-Sharef2, 

Y.S. Abognah2, S.O.Gnan2, A. Rahouma1

Faculty of Medicine1 and Faculty of Agriculture2,

Tripoli University, Tripoli-Libya

OBJECTIVES

• To determine what are the pathogenic bacteria found in ice cream sold in Tripoli?

• To determine the resistance

profiles of the isolated pathogenic bacteria to antimicrobial agents.

METHODS

•160 ice cream samples were collected from different manufactures in Tripoli.

•Standard bacteriological techniques were used to isolate the organisms.

• The Disc diffusion method was used to determine their susceptibility to antibiotics.

RESULTS

Pathogenic bacteria isolated from 160 ice cream samples sold in Tripoli-Libya.

Organism No. (%) positive

Escherichia coli 10 (6)

Salmonella 8 (5)

Aeromonas 30 (19)

Staphylococcus aureus 60 (38)

Listeria monocytogenes 7 (4)

Resistance rates of Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria from ice cream in

Tripoli to antibiotics No. (%) resistant

Antibiotic E. coli Salmonella Aeromonas Total(n=10) (n=8) (n=30) (n=48)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ampicillin 6(60) 6(75) 28(93) 40(83)Amoxicillin- 5(50) 4(50) 10(33) 19(40) clavulanic acid Cefuroxime 0 3(38) 9(30) 12(25)Ciprofloxacin 0 0 0 0Gentamicin 0 0 0 0Tetracycline 1(10) 2(25) 6(20) 9(19)Trimethoprim- 0 0 6(20) 6(12.5) sulphamethoxazole

Resistance rates of Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria from ice cream in

Tripoli to antibiotics No. (%) resistant

Antibiotic S. aurues L. monocytogenes Total (n=60) (n=7)

(n=67)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ampicillin 60(100) 0 60(90)Amoxicillin- 30(50) 0 30(45) clavulanic acid Cefuroxime 34(57) NTCiprofloxacin 4(7) NTGentamicin 8(14) 0 8(12)Tetracycline 13(22) 3(43) 16(24)Trimethoprim- 13(22) 4(57) 17(25) sulphamethoxazoleMethicillin 0 NTVancomycin 0 NT

CONCLUSINS

•Antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria is not uncommon in ice cream sold in Tripoli.

• Ice cream should be considered as a possible method of spreading antibiotic-resistant organisms in the community.