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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Food Microbiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1500007

Resistance in the Microbial Ecology of Raw Milk: Critical Public Health Implications

Provisionally accepted
Ruby Khan Ruby Khan 1*Sumbal Khan Sumbal Khan 2Bakht Pari Bakht Pari 3
  • 1 Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
  • 2 Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
  • 3 Khyber Girls Medical College Peshawar, Pakistan, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: Antibiotic resistance (AMR) poses a significant global public health threat, with raw milk emerging as a potential vector for resistant pathogens. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan, where regulatory oversight is limited, the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in raw milk remains understudied.Methods: We analyzed raw milk samples from high-risk districts in KP, Pakistan, identifying microbial species and assessing their antibiotic resistance profiles. Bacterial isolates were identified through standard microbiological methods, and antibiotic resistance was determined using disk diffusion assays.Results: Escherichia coli was the most prevalent bacterial species, accounting for 70% of isolates, followed by Shigella (41.66%) and Staphylococcus aureus (40.83%). Resistance patterns revealed alarming levels of multidrug resistance (MDR), particularly among S. aureus, with 55.2% of strains resistant to six or more antibiotics. Additionally, 75.1% of E. coli isolates were resistant to commonly used antibiotics such as Amoxicillin (22.66%) and Doxycycline (40%).Discussion: These findings challenge the perception of moderate antibiotic resistance in the region and highlight the escalating threat posed by antibiotic-resistant pathogens in raw milk. The results emphasize the need for improved food safety regulations, enhanced surveillance systems, and community awareness campaigns to mitigate public health risks. This study underscores the broader implications of antimicrobial

    Keywords: antibiotic resistance, raw milk, Public Health, microbial ecology, Food Safety

    Received: 22 Sep 2024; Accepted: 13 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Khan, Khan and Pari. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ruby Khan, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.