BACTERIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION OF HAWKED SUYA MEATS IN UGBOKPO, APA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BENUE STATE, NIGERIA: PREVALENCE, PATHOGENS, AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE PROFILES

Suya is a widely consumed street-grilled meat in Nigeria whose informal production chain creates multiple opportunities for bacteriological contamination. Despite growing documentation of microbial hazards associated with suya in other Nigerian cities, no systematic bacteriological assessment has been conducted for Ugbokpo, Apa Local Government Area of Benue State. Objective: This study evaluated the bacteriological contamination, pathogen prevalence, and antibiotic resistance profiles of bacteria isolated from hawked suya meats in Ugbokpo. Methods: Sixty suya samples were collected from six vendors across three locations in Ugbokpo over three months. Standard cultural and biochemical methods were used for enumeration and identification of bacteria. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method according to CLSI (2021) guidelines. Results: Total Aerobic Plate Counts (TAPC) ranged from 4.2 × 10⁴ to 9.8 × 10⁶ CFU/g, exceeding the ICMSF (2011) recommended threshold of 10⁴ CFU/g. Pathogens isolated included Staphylococcus aureus (85%), Escherichia coli (72%), Salmonella species (58%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (48%), Bacillus cereus (43%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (38%). Multiple drug resistance (MDR) was detected in 64% of S. aureus, 71% of E. coli, and 68% of Salmonella isolates. Conclusion: Suya vended in Ugbokpo harbours dangerous levels of pathogenic and multidrug-resistant bacteria, constituting a significant public health hazard. Urgent regulatory and educational interventions are warranted.

Funding: This is a fully self-funded

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Ethics Approval: Not_applicable

Data Availability: Data will be made available upon reasonable request

AI-Assisted Writing: No AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.