Identification and Antimicrobial Resistance Profile of Foodborne Pathogens Isolated from Suya and Kilishi Products Sold in Maiduguri, North East Nigeria

Grilled and dried meat products including suya and kilishi are culturally significant and widely traded food products in North East Nigeria. Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, hosts a large trade in these products, yet food safety data specifically addressing antimicrobial resistance in isolates from these products are largely absent from the scientific literature. This study identified foodborne pathogens and characterised their antimicrobial resistance profiles in suya and kilishi samples collected from thirty vendors in Maiduguri. A total of 120 samples were collected over eight weeks. Standard bacteriological isolation and identification methods were applied, and confirmed isolates were characterised by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method following European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing breakpoints for fourteen antibiotics. Results yielded 68 Staphylococcus aureus, 42 Salmonella species, 24 Escherichia coli, and 18 Listeria monocytogenes isolates. Multi-drug resistance (resistance to three or more antibiotic classes) was observed in 72 percent of Staphylococcus aureus isolates and 61 percent of Salmonella isolates. Resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was most prevalent. The study raises critical public health concerns about antimicrobial resistance in street meat products in Maiduguri and recommends antimicrobial stewardship surveillance to be extended explicitly to the food system. Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, foodborne pathogens, suya, kilishi, Maiduguri.