Occurrence, multidrug resistance and potential risk factors for <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> infection at worker-animal and working equipment interfaces: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the Ethiopian literature.

Abstract

<h4>Background</h4><i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (<i>S. aureus</i>) infecting animals and humans via close contact, handling, or consuming contaminated products is a growing public health concern. In Ethiopia, it is important to examine the overall prevalence of <i>S. aureus</i>, patterns of multidrug resistance, and potential risks in human-animal interface settings. Thus, this review was conducted to estimate the pooled prevalence of <i>S. aureus</i>, its multidrug resistance, and potential risk factors for worker-animal-working equipment interactions.<h4>Methods</h4>This systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out by the PRISMA guidelines. The research articles were searched from PubMed, HINARI, Web of Sciences, and Google Scholar databases.<h4>Results</h4>This meta-analysis included 13 independent articles and 52 dependent studies. In total, 5,329 humans, 5,475 animals, and 5,119 samples of working equipment were analyzed. The pooled prevalence of <i>S. aureus</i> at the interfaces between humans, animals, and working equipment was 22%, there was a high level of heterogeneity (I² = 94%: <i>p</i> < 0.01). The overall pooled prevalence of <i>S. aureus</i> in dairy farm sources was 23% (95% CI, 17-30%) compared to 18% in abattoirs. The pooled prevalence of <i>S. aureus</i> was estimated to be 25% for human sources, 23% for animal sources, and 19% for working equipment. The total multidrug resistance (MDR) rate was 27%. The present study illustrates that a predominant antimicrobials comprising ampicillin, penicillin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin, accounts for the development of resistance in <i>S. aureus</i> strains, with a prevalence of 72%. According to the qualitative assessment of potential risk factors, animal age, worker education, lactation stage, and hand washing by milkers influenced the circulation of <i>S. aureus</i> at animal-worker and working equipment interfaces.<h4>Conclusion</h4>The pooled prevalence of <i>S. aureus</i> at the interface of human,-and animal-working equipment was quantified at 22%. <i>S. aureus</i> was found in humans, animals, and equipment at nearly the same rate. The results of this study demonstrate that <i>S. aureus</i> is hazardous and circulates among animals, workers, and equipment: farmers, animal owners, employees, and the public need to be educated about <i>S. aureus</i>. Moreover, animals and work equipment should be included in the control and prevention of <i>S. aureus</i> infection.