Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus in Some Types of Dairy Products in Baghdad Markets

Abstract

In both, the community and hospitals, methicillin -resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) seems to be a major problem. Because protein-rich foods are thought to be a rich reservoir for this bacterium, 55 samples were randomly collected from various outlets in Baghdad between November 2021 and January 2022 and analyzed using standard isolation protocols of food microbiology with some modification processing by the authors to determine the presence of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in yogurt and ice cream retailed in our markets. There were 28 (50.9%) isolates of S. aureus, of which 12 (42.9%) were confirmed as MRSA, 8 (47.1%) were raw yogurt derivatives, and 4 (36.4%) were ice cream derivatives. As a result, it is suggested that MRSA is present in local food goods in Baghdad marketplaces, and it is advised that these products be monitored frequently to ensure the safety of the public.