Characterization by PCR of <i>Escherichia coli</i> from Beef and Chicken Used in Restaurants in Yaoundé Cameroon

Meat constitutes the main source of protein and occupies an important place in our diet. Indeed, the production of poultry and beef has increased. However, the hygienic quality of meat is not always guaranteed. Microorganisms such as Escherichia coli can be found in meat and can cause various infections including diarrhea, dysentery, food poisoning, gastroenteritis or typhoid fever. Thus, the present study was designed to characterize Escherichia coli (E. coli) from beef and chicken consumed in restaurants in Yaoundé Cameroon. A total of 105 meat samples (60 beef and 45 chickens) were subjected to microbial culture for E. coli isolation and further confirmed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) using primers EC-F and EC-R that are specific to E. coli 16S rRNA gene. The supplier source, storage, and transport conditions were taken into consideration during sample analysis and data processing. This study revealed that 77/105 samples (73.33%) were positive for E. coli following microbial culture and 35 (33.33%) were positive for E. coli following molecular examination. A statistically significant difference was observed when PCR and microbial culture were used to assess for E. coli in beef and a non-statistically significant difference was observed in the case of chicken meat. Also, a statistically significant difference was noticed with the different transport conditions, but this wasn’t the case with the supplier source as well as the storage conditions where a non-statistically significant difference was seen. This study revealed that PCR-based methods are fast and reliable in the identification and characterization of Escherichia coli in meats (beef and chicken) as well as in assessing the prevalence of pathogenic E. coli, in Cameroon.