Bacterial composition and antibiotic resistance in ready-to-eat vegetables sold in some Oyo state markets.
The demand for nutritionally rich, and convenient food products is increasing globally. Fresh produce get contaminated with enteric foodborne pathogens through multiple transmission routes. Fresh, ready-to-eat vegetables were collected at selected markets, namely Bodija, Sango, and Sabo Markets in Oyo state. Five samples each of carrot, lettuce, cabbage, spring onions, and cucumbers were collected from each market. Bacterial isolation was carried out using standard procedures, followed by Antibiotic susceptibility testing and metagenomic analysis to study the microbial communities represented in the vegetables. The highest occurring isolates were Salmonella spp (17 isolates), followed by Serratia spp (15 isolates), and the least isolated was Klebsiella spp. (6 isolates). One hundred percent resistance was recorded against cefixime, cefuroxime, and ceftazidime, however, 95.5% and 94.4% sensitivity, respectively, were recorded against ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. Microbial communities that were identified in pooled fresh vegetable samples from the three markets in Oyo State showed that Pseudomonas was the highest occurring isolate. Other identified bacteria, in order of abundance, were Janthinobacterium, Flavobacterium, Rheinheimera, Pantoea, Comamonas, Sphingobacterium. This study reinforces the need for improved food safety practices, including proper handling, washing, and processing of vegetables before consumption.