Prevalence and antibiotic resistance patterns of Vibrio cholerae isolated from diverse food sources in Khulna, Bangladesh

Vibrio cholerae is the causative agent of cholera and remains a significant public health concern in Bangladesh. Contaminated water, undercooking, and lack of personal hygiene during food preparation, handling, transportation, and storage are major causes of cholera transmission through various food sources. Cholera outbreaks linked to food sources pose a major public health issue. The present study aimed to isolate antibiotic-resistant V. cholerae from different food sources. A total of fifty samples, such as raw milk, chicken meat, poa fish, sugarcane juice, and spinach, were collected from different markets in Khulna City, Bangladesh. The overall prevalence of V. cholerae from different food sources was 38 %, with 19 isolates of V. cholerae successfully identified. The highest count of V. cholerae was recorded at 5.93 ± 0.15 log CFU/mL in poa fish, while the lowest count was 2.43 ± 0.31 log CFU/mL in sugarcane juice. The isolated V. cholerae was subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing using ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, gentamicin, tetracycline, and norfloxacin. The result showed that the highest antibiotic resistance was 73 % and 69 % to ampicillin and tetracycline, respectively. In contrast, the highest antibiotic sensitivity against V. cholerae was 43 % and 45 % for ciprofloxacin and azithromycin, respectively. The level of antibiotic-resistant V. cholerae represents a significant public health concern in Khulna City, Bangladesh, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated efforts to mitigate its impact.