Characterization of Carabapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Fresh vegetables

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriacea (CRE) has become a growing food safety issue and an ongoing public-health problem of global dimensions. This  research study determined the presence of CRE in fresh vegetables. Vegetables were purchased from the retailers and analyzed for  Enterobacteriaceae in line with Standard guidelines. The antibiotic profile of the isolated Enterobacteriaceae was determined using Antibiotic Susceptibility Test (AST). The Modified Hodges test (MHT), Carbapenem inactivation method (CIM), Modified carbapenem inactivation (mCIM), and  Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) carbapenem inactivation (eCIM) were used screening for carbapenem resistance among Multidrug-resistant  (MDR) Enterobacteriaceae. Forty-six Enterobacteriaceae were isolated in all. Among organisms isolated were Citrobacter freundi, Enterobacter cloacae,  Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella sp, and Escherichia coli. AST of the isolates showed that two out of three third-generation antibiotics used had the highest  resistance of 100%. Thirty-six (78.26%) were multidrug-resistant, eighteen were CRE using MHT but using CIM, and sixteen were CRE. Eighteen were CRE  using the mCIM method, while 17 were using eCIM. Conclusion: This study shows that vegetables can be a source of carbapenem-resistant  Enterobacteriaceae, and mCIM combined with eCIM is more sensitive in detecting CRE. Significance and Impact of Study: Ready-to-eat fresh Vegetables  contain CRE.