Vol. 9, Issue 12, Part G (2025)

Emergence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), associated with the mecA gene, has increased health concern in livestock-related settings including slaughterhouse environment. In this study, environmental samples (N = 346) from slaughterhouses were processed and 112 presumptive staphylococcal isolates obtained. Five of them were confirmed as S. aureus and one as MRSA through phenotypic and molecular tests. Fifty isolates of Staphylococcus spp. subjected to Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion assay where highest resistance was observed for erythromycin (58%), tetracycline (50%) and penicillin (48%), followed by cefoxitin (44%) while highest susceptibility was recorded to chloramphenicol (98%), gentamicin (96%), enrofloxacin (96%) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (96%). Despite the very low (0.28%) prevalence of MRSA, the detection of multidrug-resistant staphylococci within slaughterhouse environments highlights the need for continued monitoring and consistent sanitation practices to limit the spread of resistant strains.