Microbiological quality and Salmonella prevalence, serovar distribution and antimicrobial resistance associated with informal raw chicken processing in Accra, Ghana

Abstract Fresh chicken meat is retailed mostly in informal live bird markets (LBM), cottage farms and registered supermarkets. LBM are street food operations that slaughter, dress and trade live or dressed poultry on demand. Here, we provide data on microbiological hazards from LBM, supermarkets and cottage farms in Accra, and evidence of multidrug resistant (MDR) Salmonella serovars from informal poultry operations. Samples (148) comprising of 60 broiler carcasses from LBM, supermarkets and cottage farms, 33 bench-top swabs, 33 fecal samples and 22 rinse water samples were assessed for Aerobic Plate Count (APC), Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Salmonella and relative prevalence of Salmonella and Campylobacter. Resistance against 14 antibiotics was determined using disc diffusion assay and EUCAST breakpoints. Mean APC, S. aureus and E. coli counts were 8.5, 5.8 and 3.8 log CFU/g for LBM, 6.4, 2.1 and 0.9 log CFU/g for supermarkets and 6.1, 3.9 and 5.2 Log CFU/g for cottage farms respectively. Microbial counts on chicken carcasses for LBM were significantly higher (P