title: Antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus species isolated from Lebanese dairy-based products.
abstract: The study evaluated the antimicrobial resistance of molecularly characterized strains of Staphylococcus aureus and S. saprophyticus isolated from 3 Lebanese dairy-based food products that are sometimes consumed raw: kishk, shanklish and baladi cheese. Suspected Staphylococcus isolates were identified initially using standard biochemical tests, then strains that were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (29 S. aureus and 17 S. saprophyticus) were evaluated for their susceptibility to different antimicrobials. The highest levels of contamination with staphylococci were in baladi cheese. Resistance rates ranged from 67% to gentamicin to 94% to oxacillin and clindamycin. The results suggest that these locally made dairy-based foods may act as vehicles for the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant Staphylococcus spp.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zouhairi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alwan
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Science, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Toufeili
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barbour
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harakeh