{ "abstract": "Fresh vegetables consumed raw are a recognized but underappreciated vehicle for foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria, yet data on AMR determinants in fresh produce remain scarce for West Africa. This cross-sectional study characterized the prevalence of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. in 300 fresh vegetable samples from farms, markets, restaurants, and supermarkets in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, along with their antimicrobial resistance profiles, selected β-lactamase genes, and associated food-handling risk factors. E. coli was detected in 63.0% of samples (95% CI: 57.4–68.3%) and Salmonella spp. in 10.0% (95% CI: 6.9–13.9%). Prevalence did not differ significantly by season for either species (E. coli: 61.3% dry season vs 64.7% rainy season, χ²(1) = 0.36, p = 0.55; Salmonella: 8.0% vs 12.0%, χ²(1) = 1.33, p = 0.25). Per-agent resistance rates were likewise broadly similar between seasons for both species (e.g., Salmonella tetracycline resistance 23.3% dry vs 26.7% rainy). Salmonella isolates showed higher resistance for several individual agents than E. coli isolates, most notably tetracycline (25.0% vs 15.3%) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (21.7% vs 12.8%; see Table 1). Multidrug resistance (non-susceptibility to ≥ 3 antimicrobial classes) was observed in 60% of resistant Salmonella isolates. Among eight resistant isolates screened by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (four E. coli and four Salmonella, selected to represent the range of resistance phenotypes observed), blaTEM was detected in 100% (8/8), blaOXA in 50.0% (4/8), and blaCTX-M in 50.0% (4/8), with co-occurrence of all three genes in 37.5% (3/8) of isolates. The detection of the extended-spectrum β-lactamase-associated blaCTX-M gene provides new surveillance data on vegetable-associated bacteria in Burkina Faso, an environmental compartment not previously included in national AMR monitoring. Risky food-handling practices were widespread: 98% of vendors stored vegetables at ambient temperature, 85% applied no disinfection, and 80% of settings presented cross-contamination risk with raw meat. A screening-level model yielded an indicative 2.0% exposure-risk estimate for antibiotic-resistant Salmonella per raw salad serving; this is a screening-level indicator rather than a confirmed infection probability (see Methods). A HACCP-based control framework with five critical control points is proposed as a preliminary, field-validation-pending tool. These findings support the integration of fresh produce into One Health antimicrobial resistance surveillance strategies in West Africa.", "abstract_shown": true, "affiliations": [ "Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Food Technology and Nutrition (LABIOTAN), University Joseph KI-ZERBO, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso", "University Daniel Ouezzin Coulibaly, Dédougou, Burkina Faso", "Virtual University of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso", "Laboratory of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition (LabStAn), IRSAT – DRO/Bobo-Dioulasso, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso", "Department of Food Technology (DTA), Research Institute of Applied Sciences and Technologies (IRSAT)/CNRST, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso" ], "article_type": "Research Article", "arxiv": null, "author_total": 8, "authors": [ { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Adama Pamba Séré" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Nabèrè Ouattara" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Abdoudramane Sanou" }, { "affs": [ 3 ], "name": "Roger Dakuyo" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Kabakdé Kaboré" }, { "name": "Donatien Kaboré" }, { "name": "Kiessoun Konaté" }, { "name": "Mamoudou Hama Dicko" } ], "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cqbsbnexk78dt.bib", "cited_by": 0, "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0361890", "fulltext_url": null, "id": "cqbsbnexk78dt", "issns": [ "1932-6203" ], "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361890", "language": null, "licence": "CC-BY-4.0", "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0", "licence_source": "journal", "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "metadata_licence": null, "native_subjects": [ [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Microbiology/Medical microbiology/Microbial pathogens/Bacterial pathogens/Escherichia coli" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Microbiology/Medical microbiology/Microbial pathogens/Bacterial pathogens/Salmonella" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Microbiology/Microbial control/Antimicrobial resistance" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Microbiology/Microbial control/Antimicrobial resistance/Antibiotic resistance" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Nutrition/Diet/Food" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Bacteria/Enterobacteriaceae/Escherichia/Escherichia coli" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Bacteria/Enterobacteriaceae/Salmonella" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Bacteria/Gut bacteria/Escherichia/Escherichia coli" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Eukaryota/Plants/Vegetables" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Epidemiology/Medical risk factors" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Infectious diseases/Bacterial diseases/Salmonella" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Nutrition/Diet/Food" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Pathology and laboratory medicine/Pathogens/Microbial pathogens/Bacterial pathogens/Escherichia coli" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Pathology and laboratory medicine/Pathogens/Microbial pathogens/Bacterial pathogens/Salmonella" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Pharmacology/Antimicrobial resistance" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Pharmacology/Antimicrobial resistance/Antibiotic resistance" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Public and occupational health/Hygiene" ], [ "plos", "/Research and analysis methods/Animal studies/Experimental organism systems/Model organisms/Escherichia coli" ], [ "plos", "/Research and analysis methods/Animal studies/Experimental organism systems/Prokaryotic models/Escherichia coli" ], [ "plos", "/Research and analysis methods/Model organisms/Escherichia coli" ] ], "openalex": null, "pdf_url": null, "pmcid": null, "pmid": null, "published": "2026-11-05", "publisher": "Public Library of Science", "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cqbsbnexk78dt.ris", "sources": [ { "first_seen": "2026-11-06T12:20:42Z", "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0361890", "source": "plos", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361890" } ], "subjects": [ { "field": "biology", "origin": "plos:microbiology", "subfield": "microbiology" }, { "field": "medicine", "origin": "plos:epidemiology", "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health" }, { "field": "medicine", "origin": "plos:nutrition", "subfield": "nutrition" } ], "title": "Antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella and Escherichia coli in fresh vegetables from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Prevalence, β-lactamase genes, and food safety implications", "title_text": "Antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella and Escherichia coli in fresh vegetables from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Prevalence, β-lactamase genes, and food safety implications", "type": "peer-reviewed", "updated_at": "2026-11-07T12:20:24Z", "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cqbsbnexk78dt", "venue": "PLOS One", "versions": [] }