Dr. Bedaso MammoDr. Zerihun AssefaDr. Beksisa UrgeSegni Bedasa2023-12-092023-12-092023http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/516Escherichia coli O157:H7 is the most important foodborne pathogen in countries like Ethi-opia, where raw beef meat consumption is common. However, the occurrence of this patho-gen in beef carcasses has not yet been studied in Burayu Town. Therefore, a cross-sectional study design was conducted from October 2022 to June 2023 to generate relevant infor-mation on the occurrence and antibiogram of E. coli O157:H7 from cattle carcasses as well as assess the hygienic and sanitary practices of meat handling in abattoir and butcher shops in Burayu Town. For this study, a total of 254 samples (121 carcass swabs, 37 knives, 37 personnel hands, 22 cutting boards, 6 water, 6 sewage and 25 cecal contents) were randomly collected from abattoir and butcher shops. E. coli O157:H7 isolation and identification were carried out using primary culture and biochemical tests. Conventional PCR was conducted to detect the eae gene from positive isolates. The antibiogram of E. coli O157:H7 isolates was assessed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Data analysis was carried out using STATA Version 14.0. The overall prevalence of E. coli and E. coli O157:H7 was 22.05% (56/254) and 5.5% (14/254) with higher distribution in butcher shops (17.11%-27.65%% and 2.8%-12%) than in abattoir (13.16%-27.67% and 1.8%-10%), respectively. From PCR amplification of eae gene in 12 isolates, 490 bp target gene was amplified in 10 isolates. The antibiogram of E. coli O157:H7 indicated that 78.6% (11/14) of the isolates had developed resistance against tetracycline, whereas 64.3% (9/14) had developed re-sistance against both amoxicillin and penicillin. On the other hand, 78.6% (11/14) and 71.4% (10/14) of isolates were susceptible to gentamycin and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, re-spectively. Resistance to three or more antimicrobials was detected in 78.6% of the isolates, which signifies a public health risk. The results of this study revealed that the circulation of MDR E. coli O157:H7 isolates at the beef value chain is a potential public health hazard in Burayu abattoir and butcher shops. Increasing awareness on hygienic practice, strictly fol-lowing sanitary rules at the abattoir and butcher shops, and antimicrobial stewardship are highly recommended to halt the transmission dynamics of E. coli O157:H7 at the human-animal-environment interface.enAbattoirAntimicrobialsBurayuButcher shopCarcassE. coli O157:H7Thesis