Comparative analysis of the prevalence of Escherichia coli from poultry meat sold in informal and formal butcheries in Epworth

Abstract

Contaminated poultry meat is a common source of dangerous bacteria, and food borne illnesses constitute a significant community health problem in low- and middle-income states. Escherichia coli is a trustworthy indicator of fecal pollution and inadequate hygiene throughout processing, retail, and slaughter. In Epworth, poultry meat is marketed through both registered and uncontrolled butcheries. However, comparative information on E. coli contamination between these two market channels is absent. The drive of this cross-sectional dissertation was to observe the E. coli infection prevalence, enumeration, and hygiene-related parameters in chicken meat served by official butcheries and informal vendors in Epworth. Twenty-one broiler meat samples were acquired from randomly selected informal sellers and 21 from formal butcheries (three visits each). Enrichment in pep tone water was used to recover E. coli, which was then cultured at 37°C on MacConkey, blood, and TBX agar. The identification was confirmed by colony morphology, Gram staining, and biochemical assays. Total E. coli counts were measured via direct plating (cfu/g). A systematic hygiene observation checklist (maximum score of 22) was utilized to evaluate handling methods. The data were analysed using R software, with chi-square tests for prevalence and Mann-Whitney U tests for numbers. The relationship between the cleanliness score and log-transformed counts was found using linear regression and Spearman's rank correlation. Vendor samples had a considerably greater prevalence of E. coli (86%, 18/21) compared to butchery samples (52%, 11/21) (p=0.024). Vendor meat had significantly higher median E. coli counts (2.5 × 10⁵ cfu/g, IQR: 1.2 × 10³-3.0 × 10⁶) compared to butchery meat (<1.0 × 10¹ cfu/g, IQR: <1.0 × 10¹-2.0 × 10³) (p < 0.001). Several vendor samples surpassed Zimbabwe’s acceptable limit (<1 × 10⁶ cfu/g). Butcheries had considerably higher hygiene scores (mean ± SD: 13.16 ± 2.07) compared to merchants (5.84 ± 1.03) (p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 4.5). A moderate negative correlation was found between hygiene score and log E. coli count (Spearman's ρ = -0.259, p = 0.045). Linear regression revealed that a one-point increase in cleanliness score was linked with a 41% drop in E. coli count (R² = 0.236, p < 0.001). Despite improved overall compliance, butcheries engaged in certain "bad practices" (e.g., soiled aprons, using the same apron for several activities) that require attention. Poultry meat supplied by informal vendors in Epworth has a considerably greater level of E. coli contamination than licensed butcheries, indicating inadequate fecal cleanliness and an increased public health risk. Escherichia coli prevalence