Prevalence of Antibiotic-Resistant Seafood-Borne Pathogens in Retail Seafood Sold in Malaysia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

• Main Authors: Omowale A. Odeyemi (Author), Muhamad Amin (Author), Fera R. Dewi (Author), Nor Azman Kasan (Author), Helen Onyeaka (Author), Deyan Stratev (Author), Olumide A. Odeyemi (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2023-04-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.3390/antibiotics12050829; 2079-6382
• Keywords: seafood; antibiotic resistance; retail seafood; seafood-borne pathogens; microbial diversity; Therapeutics. Pharmacology; RM1-950
• Source: Antibiotics, Vol 12, Iss 5, p 829 (2023)

The objective of this study was to examine the frequency and extent of antibiotic-resistant pathogens in seafood sold in Malaysia, using a systematic review and meta-analysis approach to analyze primary research studies. Four bibliographic databases were systematically searched for primary studies on occurrence. Meta-analysis using a random-effect model was used to understand the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in retail seafood sold in Malaysia. A total of 1938 primary studies were initially identified, among which 13 met the inclusion criteria. In the included primary studies, a total of 2281 seafoods were analyzed for the presence of antibiotic-resistant seafood-borne pathogens. It was observed that 51% (1168/2281) of the seafood was contaminated with pathogens. Overall, the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant seafood-borne pathogens in retail seafood was 55.7% (95% CI: 0.46-0.65). Antibiotic-resistant <i>Salmonella</i> species had an overall prevalence of 59.9% (95% CI: 0.32-0.82) in fish, <i>Vibrio</i> species had an overall prevalence of 67.2% (95% CI: 0.22-0.94) in cephalopods, and MRSA had an overall prevalence of 70.9% (95% CI: 0.36-0.92) in mollusks. It could be concluded that there is a high prevalence of antibiotic-resistant seafood-borne pathogens in the retail seafood sold in Malaysia, which could be of public health importance. Therefore, there is a need for proactive steps to be taken by all stakeholders to reduce the widespread transmission of antibiotic-resistant pathogens from seafood to humans.