1. Ice Cream
a Possible Method of Spreading
Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogenic
Bacteria in the Community
K.S. Ghenghesh1, N. El-Sharef2,
Y.S. Abognah2, S.O.Gnan2, A. Rahouma1
Faculty of Medicine1 and Faculty of Agriculture2,
Tripoli University,
Tripoli-Libya

2. OBJECTIVES

3. • To determine what are the pathogenic
bacteria found in ice cream sold in
Tripoli?
• To determine the resistance profiles
of the isolated pathogenic bacteria to
antimicrobial agents.

4. METHODS

5. • 160 ice cream samples were collected
from different manufactures in Tripoli.
• Standard bacteriological techniques
were used to isolate the organisms.
• The Disc diffusion method was used
to determine their susceptibility to
antibiotics.

6. RESULTS

7. Pathogenic bacteria isolated from 160 ice
.cream samples sold in Tripoli-Libya
Organism
No. (%) positive
Escherichia coli
10 (6)
Salmonella
8 (5)
Aeromonas
30 (19)
Staphylococcus aureus
60
(38)
Listeria monocytogenes
7 (4)

8. Resistance rates of Gram-negative pathogenic
bacteria from ice cream in Tripoli to antibiotics
No. (%) resistant
Antibiotic
E. coli Salmonella
Aeromonas
Total
(n=10)
(n=8)
(n=30)
(n=48)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ampicillin
6(60)
6(75)
28(93)
40(83)
Amoxicillin5(50)
4(50)
10(33)
19(40)
clavulanic acid
Cefuroxime
0
3(38)
9(30)
12(25)
Ciprofloxacin
0
0
0
0
Gentamicin
0
0
0
0
Tetracycline
1(10)
2(25)
6(20)
9(19)
Trimethoprim0
0
6(20)
6(12.5)
sulphamethoxazole

9. Resistance rates of Gram-positive pathogenic
bacteria from ice cream in Tripoli to antibiotics
No. (%) resistant
Antibiotic
S. aurues
L. monocytogenes
Total
(n=60)
(n=7)
(n=67)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ampicillin
60(100)
0
60(90)
Amoxicillin30(50)
0
30(45)
clavulanic acid
Cefuroxime
34(57)
NT
Ciprofloxacin
4(7)
NT
Gentamicin
8(14)
0
8(12)
Tetracycline
13(22)
3(43)
16(24)
Trimethoprim13(22)
4(57)
17(25)
sulphamethoxazole
Methicillin
0
NT
Vancomycin
0
NT

10. CONCLUSINS

11. • Antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria
is not uncommon in ice cream sold in
Tripoli.
• Ice cream should be considered as a
possible method of spreading antibioticresistant organisms in the community.