Prevalence of Listeria Monocytogenes in Meat Products Retailed in Egypt and Worldwide: A Review

Meat products are regarded as major sources of essential amino acids, minerals, and vitamins. However, during all stages of the processing of meat products, including the slaughter of the animal, dressing, evisceration, and subsequent transportation and distribution, may expose the product to a wide range of bacteria. The microbial community of the finished goods may be influenced by handling and raw materials used in the production of the meat products. The microbiological condition of meat products may be affected by a number of factors, including worker hands, clothing, knives, cutting boards, slaughterhouse and meat processing plant environments, including walls, floors, washing water, etc. Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is considered as one important foodborne pathogen that is responsible for many cases of food poisoning among consumers worldwide. This study aimed at investigating the current scenario of the prevalence of L. monocytogenes in retailed meat products in Egypt and worldwide. The cited literatures in the current review demonstrated that effective sanitary practices should be used throughout all phases of handling meat to produce meat products with a high level of storage quality and free from L. monocytogenes

Potential of Natural Phenolic Compounds as Antimicrobial Agents against Multidrug-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> in Chicken Meat

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most widespread foodborne bacteria that cause high morbidity, mortality, and economic loss, primarily if foodborne diseases are caused by pathogenic and multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of S. aureus in chicken meat in Egyptian markets. Thus, this study might be the first to assess the efficiency of different natural phenolic compounds as novel antibacterial agents against MDR S. aureus pathogens isolated from raw chicken meat in the Egyptian market. The incidence and quantification of pathogenic S. aureus were detected in retail raw chicken meat parts (breast, thigh, fillet, and giblets). In total, 73 out of 80 (91.3%) of the chicken meat parts were contaminated, with S. aureus as the only species isolated. Of the 192 identified S. aureus isolates, 143 were coagulase-positive S. aureus and 117 isolates were MDR (81.8%, 117/143). Twenty-two antibiotic resistance profile patterns were detected. One strain was randomly selected from each pattern to further analyze virulence and resistance genes. Extracted DNA was assessed for the presence of antibiotic-resistance genes, i.e., vancomycin-resistance (vanA), aminoglycosides-resistance (aacA–aphD), apramycin-resistance (apmA), and methicillin-resistance (mecA), penicillin-resistance (blaZ), and virulence genes staphylococcal enterotoxins (sea and seb), Panton–Valentine leucocidin (pvl), clumping factor A (clfA), and toxic shock syndrome toxin (tst). Clustering analyses revealed that six S. aureus strains harbored the most virulence and resistance genes. The activity of hydroquinone was significantly higher than thymol, carvacrol, eugenol, and protocatechuic acid. Therefore, phenolic compounds, particularly hydroquinone, could potentially alternate with conventional antibiotics against the pathogenic MDR S. aureus inhabiting raw chicken meat. Hence, this study indicates that urgent interventions are necessary to improve hygiene for safer meat in Egyptian markets. Moreover, hydroquinone could be a natural phenolic compound for inhibiting foodborne pathogens

Hygienic Status of the Carcass Surfaces of Cattle, Buffalo, Sheep, and Camel Carcasses and their Contact Surfaces

A main task for the food safety and animal hygiene sectors is to ensure safety and adoption of strict hygienic measures during the entire chain of the meat industry. To fulfill this task, continuous monitoring of the hygienic status of meat of different animal species and their contact surfaces is mandatory. In this study, the hygiene indicators including total bacterial counts (TBC), most probable number (MPN) of coliforms, total Staphylococcus aureus (TSC), and total mold and yeast counts (TMYC) of the surfaces of cattle, buffaloes, camel, and sheep retailed in Sharkia governorate Egypt were tested. Besides, such parameters were also investigated for the carcass contact surfaces including, the batcher hands, knives, cutting boards, and walls of the butcher shops. The obtained results indicated microbial contamination of the meat of different animals and their contact surfaces at variable rates. In general, cattle carcasses followed by that of the buffaloes had the highest microbial contamination. While, walls and cutting boards showed the highest microbial contamination among the examined contact surfaces. In conclusion, adoption of strict hygienic measure during handling of the animal carcasses, sterilization of the carcass's contact surfaces is highly suggested to produce meat of high keeping quality

Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of community-acquired pneumonia in children: an evidence-based clinical practice guideline adapted for the use in Egypt using ‘Adapted ADAPTE’

Abstract Background We recently adapted a guideline for Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) in children to the Egyptian health system. Adaptation of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to the local healthcare context is a valid alternative to de novo development that can upgrade their application without enforcing a major burden on resources. The objective of this manuscript is to elucidate diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of CAP as well as methods used for the adaptation process to produce the 1st National Guideline for Community-Acquired Pneumonia in children in Egypt using Adapted ADAPTE method. The full process was described extensively with all three phases of set up, adaptation, and finalization. An adaptation group and an external review including clinical content experts and methodologists conducted the process. Results The authors adapted 10 principal categories of recommendations from three source Clinical Practice Guidelines. Recommendations incorporate; common clinical manifestations, indications for hospitalization and intensive care unit admission, indications for laboratory investigations and radiology in diagnosis, choice of empiric antibiotic therapy in the outpatient and hospitalized children with non-complicated CAP and the duration of therapy, the role of influenza antiviral therapy, follow-up anticipated response to therapy, management of non-responding pneumonia, criteria of safe discharge, and prevention of CAP. Many tools were gathered and established to improve implement ability containing two clinical algorithms for management of non-complicated CAP and for non-responding pneumonia in children, pathway for assessment of severity of CAP in primary care facilities, medication tables, simplified Arabic patient information, PowerPoint slide presentation lecture for management of CAP, and online resources. Conclusion The final clinical guideline supports pediatricians and related healthcare workers with evidence-based applicable guidance for managing community-acquired pneumonia in Egypt. This work demonstrated the efficiency of Adapted ADAPTE and highlighted the importance of a cooperative clinical and methodological professional group for adaptation of national guidelines