Bacteriological assessments of foodborne pathogens in poultry meat at different super shops in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

Poultry is now considered as a major fast-growing source of meat in the world. The consumers demand safe and hygienic products without contamination with pathogenic microorganisms when the production and consumption of poultry meat is gradually increasing. The present study was conducted to assess the bacterial contamination of dressed chicken collected from different supershops in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The chicken samples from S₁, S₂, M1, M₂ and A supershops were analyzed to determine the enteropathogenic bacteria in poultry meat<i>.</i> Three genera of bacteria were isolated from all of the chicken meat samples. These enteropathogens from various organs of dressing chickens were also enumerated. The isolates were presumptively identified as <i>E. coli, Salmonella</i> spp., <i>and Shigella</i> spp. by conventional culture method. The three enteropathogens were subjected to PCR assay for their confirmation as virulent enteropathogens. Only <i>E. coli</i> isolates were confirmed as pathogenic <i>E. coli</i> (Enterotoxigenic), other isolates were not confirmed as virulent <i>Salmonella</i> spp., <i>Shigella</i> spp.. Results of this study demonstrated that more cautions are recommended for personnel hygiene in processing and handling of poultry and poultry products to prevent occurrence of enterotoxigenic <i>E. coli</i> in dressed poultry meat sold by the supershops in Bangladesh.