MICROBIAL SAFETY OF READY-TO-EAT HAWAWSHI IN ASSIUT, EGYPT: PREVALENCE AND VIRULENCE TRAITS OF Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Ready-to-eat (RTE) foods are widely consumedو but may pose significant public health risks due to microbial contamination. This study evaluated the bacteriological quality of hawawshi sandwiches in Assiut, Egypt, with special reference to Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli), including E. coli O157:H7. A total of 90 hawawshi samples were randomly collected from different food outlets and classified as street vendors, small-scale restaurants, and chain restaurants (n = 30 each). Samples were analyzed for isolation, identification and enumeration of target organisms, followed by PCR detection of virulence genes. The prevalence of S. aureus and E. coli was 65.6% and 46.7%, respectively, while E. coli O157:H7 was detected in 7.8% of samples. Although E. coli prevalence showed no significant association with outlet category (p > 0.05), S. aureus counts were significantly higher in street vendors samples (p < 0.05). Molecular analysis revealed that coa gene were the most prevalent (75%), followed by enterotoxin genes sea (50%) and seb (41.7%), with significant differences among outlets categories (p < 0.05). In contrast, sec, sed, and see genes showed no significant variation. None of the E. coli O157:H7 isolates harbored the investigated virulence genes (stx1, stx2, and hlyA). In conclusion, hawawshi sandwiches pose a significant risk of foodborne pathogens, particularly toxigenic S. aureus. Given the higher contamination severity in street vendors samples, strict hygiene enforcement and continuous monitoring of RTE foods are critical.
Language: English
Topic: Food Safety and Hygiene
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7208834038