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In Côte d'Ivoire, the popularity of ready-to-eat salads has grown substantially. Despite their convenience, these products often face criticism for their microbiological safety. This research was conducted to assess the virulence and antibiotic resistance profiles of Escherichia coli ( E. coli ), Salmonella spp ., and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) isolated from salads available in hypermarkets across Abidjan. The study utilized a combination of microbiological and molecular biology techniques. Results indicated that E. coli isolates harbored virulence genes such as stx2 (50%) and ST (62.50%), though genes stx1 and LT were absent in the samples tested. In S. aureus , virulence genes detected included sea (55.55%), sec (11.110%), and sed (44.44%). The antibiotic resistance assessment revealed high resistance in E. coli to β -lactam antibiotics, with all isolates resistant to cefuroxime (100%) and the majority to ampicillin and cefoxitin (87.5%). Most Salmonella spp. isolates were sensitive to the antibiotics tested, except for cefoxitin and ampicillin, showing resistance rates of 42.85% and 57.15%, respectively. Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated considerable resistance, particularly to cefoxitin (44.44%), benzylpenicillin (100%), and ampicillin (55.55%). In addition, resistance to aminoglycosides (55.55% to both kanamycin and gentamicin) and macrolides (66.66% to erythromycin and 55.55% to clindamycin) was noted. Resistance to various fluoroquinolones ranged between 33.33% and 55.55%. The presence of resistance genes such as blaTEM (10.52%), qnrA (2.26%), qnrB (5.26%), qnrS (5.26%), and mecA (13.15%) in E. coli and S. aureus underscores the challenge of multidrug resistance, exhibiting phenotypes such as ESBL (50%), Meti-R (55.55%), KTG (44.44%), MLSB (44.44%), and FQ-R (25%). These results carry significant epidemiological and public health implications, highlighting the urgent need for improved safety regulations and practices regarding ready-to-eat salads in urban food markets., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article., (Copyright © 2024 N'goran Parfait N'zi et al.)

Molecular testing sensitivity, which allows for early diagnosis of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), could be affected by sample quality, storage, and transportation timeframe to the laboratory, along with bias related to the pre-analytic phase. The present study reports the selection and decontamination of nasopharyngeal samples during COVID-19 management at the Institut Pasteur Côte d'Ivoire. The objective of this work was to organize sample reception management and report a complete picture of sample selection and decontamination in the context of diagnosis activity decentralization. An administrative note creating the selection and decontamination unit of nasopharyngeal samples initiated activities in May 2020. The required human resources and necessary materials were identified and put in place. Daily activity consisted of receiving, sorting, decontaminating, and sending nasopharyngeal samples to different diagnostic laboratories. Nonconformities were recorded monthly. After a six-month period of activities, from a total amount of 11,401 containers received and decontaminated, 174,085 samples were selected. A proportion of 92.0% of these specimens met the diagnostic standards, while 7.0% that were found acceptable showed minor irregularities. Nevertheless, a rate of 1.0% of samples with major abnormalities could not be used for COVID-19 testing and, therefore, were rejected. Additionally, the non-conformity rate was reduced by 2.4% after the first term activity. Sorting and decontamination of nasopharyngeal samples are crucial steps in biosafety optimization for the technical staff and quality improvement of sample care., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.)