PREVELENCE, ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERN AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF SALMONELLA AND SHIGELLA AMONG ASYMPTOMATIC STREET FOOD HANDLERS IN DIRE DAWA TOWN, EASTERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Food borne diseases is one of the public health challenges throughout the world. Among food borne diseases Salmonella and Shigella are leading causes of food borne diseases. Moreover, the changing pattern of antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial entric-pathogen (Salmonella and Shigella) is another growing problem. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility pattern and associated risk factors of Salmonella and Shigella among food handlers in street food vendors in Dire Dawa town from June to July, 2017. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 218 randomly selected asymptomatic food handlers working in in street food venders in Dire Dawa town, Eastern, Ethiopia. Data was collected using face to face interview with pretested questionnaire. Stool specimens were collected, cultured and biochemical and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Data was analaysed using Statistical Packaging for Social Science (SPSS) version 16 for the analysis. The overall prevalence of enteric pathogen (Salmonella and Shigella) was 8.7 % which accounts 5.8 % Salmonella and 2.8% Shigella. Hand washing with water alone after use of toilet (AOR = 4.1, 95% CI (1.3, 12.6), not trimming finger nail (AOR = 3.2, 95% CI (1.04, 10.0) were statistically associated with the occurrence of enteric pathogen. Salmonella and Shigella isolates were sensitive against Ciprofloxacin, Ceftraxon, Gentamycin, Chloraphenicol, and Naldic acid and resistance against Amoxacillin, Ampicillin and Tertracyclin. Salmonella 64.8% and Shigella 31.6% were multidrug resistant. High prevalence of enteropathogens among the study participants, revealed poor personal hygiene like poor practice of hand washing and not trimming finger nail. Therefore, Thoroughly and proper hand washing after visting the toilet, keeping finger nails short reduce microbial contamination of food. Health Bureau need to conduct awareness raising activities like training for all food handlers and employers.