Fast foods are often responsible for staphylococcal foodborne illness. The present study was carried out to isolate Staphylococcus spp. from various fast foods sold in Mymensingh and to determine their antibiogram. Overall, 60 samples of fast foods sold in different restaurants were screened by culture, biochemical tests, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to isolate and identify Staphylococcus spp., followed by employing of disk diffusion method to determine their antibiotic resistance patterns. Among these 60 samples, 8 [13.33%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 6.91%–24.17%] were positive for Staphylococcus spp. by cultural and biochemical properties. By PCR, four (6.67%, 95% CI: 2.62%–15.93%) isolates were confirmed as Staphylococcus aureus by targeting nuc gene. Additionally, all the S. aureus isolates were coagulase-positive. By antibiogram profiles, all the Staphylococcus isolates exhibited resistance to azithromycin and erythromycin (95% CI: 67.56%–100.00%), and frequently resistance to cefixime (75%, 95% CI: 40.93%–95.56%), ampicillin (50%, 95% CI: 21.52%–78.48%), and amoxicillin (37.5%, 95% CI: 13.68%–69.43%); moderate to lower resistance was found against cefotaxime, gentamicin, and doxycycline. In addition, all the isolates were sensitive to ciprofloxacin and chloramphenicol. Interestingly, 75% (6/8; 95% CI: 40.93%–95.56%) isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR) in nature. Furthermore, the indices of multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) were ranged from 0.2 to 0.6. This study revealed that fast foods sold in restaurants were contaminated with MDR and MAR Staphylococcus isolates, having potential public health significance.

Duck plague (DP) is the most feared duck disease in the world. For isolation, identification, molecular detection and characterization of DP virus (DPV), a total of 94 samples were collected from commercial farms (n=6) and households (n=13) from Rajshahi (n=37), Netrokona (n=35) and Mymensingh (n=22) districts of Bangladesh. The samples were processed and inoculated into 11-13 days old embryonated duck eggs for virus propagation. Virus was identified using agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGIT) and passive hemagglutination (PHA) test, and was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting DNA polymerase and gC genes, followed by sequencing. Pathogenicity tests were performed using duck embryos, ducklings and ducks. Among the 94 samples, 17 isolates were confirmed as DPV by PCR amplification of partial DNA polymerase (446-bp) and gC genes (78-bp), respectively. One of the isolates (Anatid herpes 1 BAU DMH) was sequenced and found to be closely related with a Chinese variant of DPV (GenBank: JQ647509.1). Thus, we assume that both Bangladeshi and Chinese isolates of DPV may have a common ancestor. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2015; 2(3.000): 296-303

Using multiplex real-time PCR, 960 fecal samples collected from poultry, cattle, and diarrheic patients in Bangladesh were screened for diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC). Invasion-related gene virB had the highest prevalence in human patients (41%) and was shown to be positively correlated first with afaB for diffuse adhesion and second with aggR for aggregative adhesion. These three genes were specific to patients. In contrast, Shiga toxin genes stx1 (57%) and stx2 (40%) were prevalent in cattle samples. eae for attaching and effacing lesion, and elt and est of enterotoxins were detected from all three sample sources. Heat map and hierarchical clustering assigned the samples into five different clusters with patient samples positive for virB and afaB placing together in one cluster. Although detection of virulence genes cannot be a direct indication of the distribution of DEC organisms, their detection suggests that Shigella spp. or enteroinvasive E. coli are the most prevalent among diarrheagenic bacteria in Bangladesh and that diffusely adherent E. coli are concomitant bacterium. eae-possessing organisms in patients may come from cattle and poultry sources. The small number of stx-positive patients could be explained by the small number of animal samples that were positive for both eae and stx.

Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing E. coli (STEC) is the most important foodborne pathogen which is the causal agent of mild diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) in human. The present study was designed to determine the prevalence and identification of Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing E. coli in poultry, detection of its source of infection in poultry and transmission pattern to human. For this purpose a total of 150 samples (cloacal swab-60, feed -15, water-15 and egg -60) were collected and analyzed in bacteriology laboratory by cultured in different bacteriological media followed by gram’s staining, biochemical tests and Polymerase Chain reaction (PCR). The PCR was performed by targeting 16s rRNA gene and shiga toxin producing gene in E. coli. Out of 150 collected samples, E. coli was found in 81 (54%) samples. Presence of E. coli was 100% in both feed (n=15) and egg (n=60), whereas 10% in cloacal swab (n=6). Water samples were totally free of E. coli. The stx2 gene was detected in all samples whether all samples were negative for stx1 gene. The study revealed that, poultry feed acts as a source of E. coli infection in poultry, which may be transmitted to environment and human via meat or eggs. Antibiotic sensitivity test revealed that isolated bacteria were highly sensitive to Ciprofloxacin.

Milk is a nutrient-rich liquid food for human and animals. However, owing to its complex biochemical structure and high water activity, it serves as an outstanding microorganism growth medium under suitable conditions. People in Bangladesh's coastal areas have a lifestyle and tradition that includes drinking raw milk for nutrition or as an energy drink, which presents a health risk to them. The present cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the reasons for drinking raw milk in coastal areas, as well as the public health impact of doing so. A total of 100 respondents were interviewed and subsequently, milk samples were collected for quality testing through methylene blue reduction test (MBRT). Among 100 respondent 70 were consumers and 30 were farmers. Results showed that the samples of farmers were better than that of consumers. The majority of raw milk consumers were male who thought raw milk was more nutritious than heat-treated milk. Furthermore, the majority of them were professionally engaged in farming. Both consumers and farmers had less educational qualifications, managed their cattle in dirty environments, practiced extensive grazing system on communal grazing areas and around one fourth of them vaccinated their animals. Furthermore, the findings revealed that 40% of respondents were between the ages of 35 and 45, with 62% reporting no health complications as a result of drinking raw milk and the remainder reporting mainly gastrointestinal problems. According to the findings of this report, the quality of raw cow milk was poor; unhygienic practices and poor animal husbandry at farm level predisposed farmers, consumers and the public to risk of contracting milk-borne infections and associated bacterial resistances. It is recommended that veterinarians, extension officers and all stakeholders should play their roles in ensuring safe quality milk supply to consumers. Asian Australas. J. Biosci. Biotechnol. 2021, 6 (1), 10-18