Prevalence of Salmonella Typhi, Staphylococcus aureus and intestinal parasites among male food handlers in Laghouat Province, Algeria

Abstract

Background: Food-borne diseases are a global public health problem, most especially in developing countries. Food handlers with a low level of  personal hygiene may be colonized or infected by a wide range of enteric pathogenic micro-organisms including intestinal parasites and bacteria.  The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of Salmonella Typhi, Staphylococcus aureus and intestinal parasites among male food handlers  in Laghouat province, southern Algeria.

Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, stool samples and fingernail samples of both hands were collected from 155 randomly selected male  food handlers. Stool specimens were examined by direct wet mount, formalinether concentration, xenic invitro culture and staining methods for  parasitological identification. For bacterial isolation, standard culture media including Hektoen agar, Salmonella-Shigella (SS), Mannitol salt, and  Blood agar plates were used. Conventional biochemical tests were used for identification of S. Typhi and S. aureus. Antimicrobial susceptibility test  (AST) was performed for bacterial isolates by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Data analysis was done using Minitab version 19 software, and  Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to determine association between categorical variables. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.  

Results: The overall prevalence rate of intestinal parasites among the study subjects was 40% (62/155). Blastocystis spp was the most frequent  parasite isolated (16.8%), followed by Giardia intestinalis (8.4%), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (7.7%), Entamoeba coli (3.2%), Trichomonas intestinalis  (2.6%) and Endolimax nana (1.3%). Stool cultures revealed 4 (2.6%) positive samples for S. Typhi, and S. aureus was isolated from fingernail contents  of 23 (14.8%) subjects. All S. Typhi isolates were sensitive to imipenem and ciprofloxacin while S. aureus isolates show high sensitivity to  pristinamycin. Hand washing with soap, finger nail status and clinical manifestations were significantly associated with intestinal parasitic infections,  while clinical manifestation was the only factor associated with S. aureus infection.

Conclusion: The present study indicates a high prevalence of pathogenic micro-organisms among male food handlers which highlight the important role of food handlers in the spread and transmission of foodborne infections, and thus requires more attention.