Hygienic Practice, Isolation and Antibiogram Profiles of S. a ureus from Goat Meat at Butcher House in Chelenko and Kulubi Towns, Eastern Ethiopia

Staphylococcus aureus contamination originating from meat represents a significant global public health concern, particularly in developing nations such as Ethiopia. A cross-sectional investigation was carried out between September 2022 and March 2023 to evaluate goat meat handling practices and determine the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of S. aureus in the towns of Chelenko and Kulubi. A total of 206 swab specimens were collected from goat meat and environmental sources and tested for the presence of Staphylococcus aureus. All specimens underwent serial dilution to quantify the bacterial load in goat meat obtained from butcher shops. Additionally, 42 butcher shop workers with diverse demographic backgrounds were interviewed regarding their meat handling practices. Of the 206 total specimens (120 from goat meat and 86 from contact surfaces within butcher establishments), an overall prevalence of 24.8% of the organism was isolated. When categorized by specimen type, the highest prevalence was observed on cutting board swabs (35%), followed by worker hands (30.8%), while the lowest prevalence was recorded from meat samples (20.8%). Similarly, by sampling location, a higher prevalence was detected in Chelenko (27.2%) compared to Kulubi town (22.3%) for meat swab specimens. No statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed in S. aureus prevalence between towns or among sample types. The mean bacterial counts were 5.56 ± 0.276 log 10 CFU/cm 2 for Chelenko and 5.42 ± 0.309 log 10 CFU/cm 2 for Kulubi. No significant difference was found in S. aureus load across sample sources in either town (p > 0.05). S. aureus isolates from goat meat demonstrated high resistance rates to amoxicillin (66.7%), penicillin-G (62.8%), and ampicillin (52.7%), whereas high susceptibility was observed to vancomycin (94%), gentamicin (88.2%), and kanamycin (86.3%). A questionnaire survey was also conducted to assess hygienic handling practices and potential risk factors associated with goat meat contamination in the study area. Poor meat handling practices and low community awareness regarding meat hygiene were observed in both towns, a finding consistent with the non-significant distribution of S. aureus across sampling locations and sites. Consequently, improving community awareness through education on hygienic meat handling is strongly recommended.