Abstract

Sedki Hegazy

A total of two hundred samples of Egyptian foods including chicken, beef, milk, Kushary and Sogok (sausage) were obtained from local markets and super markets. The foods were examined to detect Salmonella heidelberg. As a result, S. heidelberg were detected in 6 of 40 (15%) chicken, 2 of 40 (5%) beef, 1 of 40 (2.5%) milk, 1 of 40 (2.5%) Kushary, and 4 of 40 (10%) Sogok. The effects of temperature, pH, and antibiotics on growth of S. heidelberg were studied. The results indicated that 35°C was the optimum temperature and 6.8 was the optimum pH for S. heidelberg growth. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns indicated that 4 out of 14 (28.5%) of S. heidelberg isolates (E5, E7, E12 and E13) were resistant to cefazolin, bacitracin, ceftazidime and sulphamethoxazole/ trimethoprim 19:1 respectively. This study emphasized that the presence of S. heidelberg in some Egyptian foods under investigation, such as chicken, beef, milk, Kushary and Sogok (sausage), is of concern due to the fact that they have the potential to cause human infections, and are resistant to some antibiotics. So, the current control measures on animal origin foods should be improved.