Identification and Occurrence of Antibiotic Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli Isolated from Recreational Parks around Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

A study on antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from recreational parks around Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, found that these common bacteria exhibited variable resistance to four antibiotics: ampicillin, penicillin, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol. While neither bacterium showed 100% resistance, the majority required a minimum inhibitory concentration of just 0.1 mg/mL for suppression, indicating potential public health risks. The research employed selective media (Baird-Parker agar, Brain Heart Infusion agar, MacConkey agar, and Eosin-Methylene Blue agar) to isolate and identify bacteria based on distinct morphological traits—black-shiny growth for S. aureus and a metallic-green sheen for E. coli—followed by microscopic confirmation of gram staining and cellular structure. The findings underscore the need for further molecular-based strain identification to inform public health strategies, particularly in urban areas with high visitation rates like Kinabalu Park.

Sugumaran, R., David Jocksing, P., & Yusof, N. A. (2020). IDENTIFICATION AND OCCURRENCE OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE OF Staphylococcus aureus AND Escherichia coli ISOLATED FROM RECREATIONAL PARKS AROUND KOTA KINABALU, SABAH. Borneo International Journal of Biotechnology (BIJB), 55–75. https://doi.org/10.51200/bijb.vi.1975