Isolation, Identification and Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Bacterial Strains Isolated from ‘Charmout’, a Dried Meat Sold in Chad

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the presence of pathogenic bacteria in charmout and assess the antibiotic resistance of the isolated strains. A total of 50 charmout samples were collected from vendors across five provinces of Chad and analyzed using appropriate methods for enumeration, isolate characterization and susceptibility testing. The results indicated that none of the samples met the standards based on the three-class plan. Fifteen pathogenic bacterial strains were identified, including Pseudomonas spp. (24.8%), Escherichia coli (16%), Bacillus spp. (12%), Proteus mirabilis (9.6%), Staphylococcus spp. (7.2%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (5.6%), Citrobacter spp. (4.8%), Enterobacter spp. (4%), Enterobacter cloacae (4%), Pantoea spp. (4%), Serratia odorifera (3.2%), Hafnia alvei (2.4%), Morganella morganii (0.8%), Kluyvera spp. (0.8%) and Pasteurella testudinis (0.8%). Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed that 79.63% (43/54) of strains were susceptible to all tested antibiotics, although some exhibited resistance, particularly to beta-lactam and fluoroquinolone families. This affected 30% (6/20) of Escherichia coli strains, 28.57% (2/7) of Klebsiella pneumoniae, 16.67% (1/6) of Citrobactere spp., 20% (1/5) of Enterobacter cloacae, and 100% (1/1) of Morganella morganii resistance. These findings highlight hygiene issues in production and storage, as well as the effect of antibiotics use in livestock farming in Chad. Strengthening health regulations and implementing preventive measures is crucial to reducing antibiotic resistance risk and ensuring consumer food safety.