Isolation and Characterization of Microbes of Different Kinds of Street Food and Determination of Antibiotic Susceptibility of the Isolates

Aim: Improper personal hygiene can facilitate the transmission of the pathogenic microorganisms found in environment and on people’s hands via food to humans. The present study was undertaken to investigate the microbiological quality of different street food and determining the antibiotic susceptibility of the isolated microorganisms.

Study Design: Collection of food samples for isolation of Pathogenic Microorganisms, to identify them by using Biochemical test, molecular test (16sr RNA typing), Antibiotic susceptibility was done by using different antibiotics against the isolates.

Place and Duration of Study: Food samples were collected from street vendors of Sainkpuri area, work was done from December 2020 to April 2021 at Microbiology Department, St. Francis College for Women, Hyderabad.

Methodology: Five samples of street food were collected in sterilized bottles, tested for the presence of microorganisms by following standard microbiological method used for isolation of microorganisms. The organisms were identified by carrying out various biochemical test according to Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology. The Molecular characterization was done based on 16sr RNA typing. Determining the sensitivity of the isolates against different Antibiotics by employing Kirby Bauer technique.

Results: The organisms isolated from Manchuria and Ragada samples: Lactobacillus delbrueckii; Lactobacillus casei, Klebsiella pneumonia, Enterococcus faecalis and Vibrio spp respectively; Samosa and bonda: Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Pantoea dispersa; Pani puri water: Staphylococcus aureus and Providencia vermicola. Antibiotic susceptibility tests showed that most of the isolated microorganisms were sensitive to Ciproflaxin.

Conclusion: Hence the quality of street food is found to be low due to following factor: lack hygiene conditions in the food preparation, ingredients may also affect quality of the food, and presence of air borne microorganisms in the surrounding areas of service points.