Full Length Research Article
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Microbial Contamination and Antibiotic Resistance in Food and Water: Assessing the Threat of Staphylococcus aureus in Lahore Metropolitan
Gulnaz Pervaiz*, Zahoor Qadir Samra, Amina Hussain, Aroosha Hussain, Fareeha Javaid
Adv. life sci., vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 368-374, May 2024
*- Corresponding Author: Gulnaz Pervaiz (gulnazpervaiz14@yahoo.com)
Authors' Affiliations
2. Department of Forensic Sciences, University of Health Sciences, Lahore – Pakistan
3. Department of Forensic Sciences, Collage of Criminal Justice, Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, Riyadh – Saudi Arabia
[Date Received: 30/07/2023; Date Revised: 14/02/2024; Date Available Online: 18/04/2024]
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
References
Abstract
Background: The research project in Lahore, Pakistan, seeks to detect S. aureus in drinking water, raw milk, and yogurt samples due to health concerns. S. aureus is a pathogenic bacterium with potential risks if present in food and water sources.
Method: In this study, 300 samples of raw milk, yogurt, and drinking water were collected in Lahore. The presence of S. aureus was determined through morphological, microscopic, and biochemical methods. The biochemical analysis included testing for specific features of S. aureus. Disk diffusion technology was employed to assess the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates, following the recommendations of the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute. Molecular confirmation was achieved through 16S rRNA sequence analysis using universal and specific primers.
Results: The investigation uncovered that 6% of drinking water samples, 9% of yogurt samples and 58% of raw milk samples were tainted with S. aureus. These findings were further validated through 16S rRNA sequence analysis, affirming their reliability. S. aureus exhibited notable resistance rates, with 100% resistance to penicillin and 95% resistance to erythromycin. Conversely, resistance to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin was lower, at 10% and 5% each, indicating the potential efficacy of these antibiotics in treating S. aureus infections.
Conclusion: The study emphasizes the risk of S. aureus infection from raw milk consumption in Lahore, Pakistan, due to inadequate sanitary practices. It stresses the necessity of implementing stricter measures in dairy production and water treatment to ensure public safety and reduce multidrug-resistant bacteria prevalence. Continuous monitoring and preventive actions are vital for safeguarding public health.
Keywords: S. aureus; Antibiotic resistance; Food and water; Lahore, Pakistan; Sanitary measures
Retraction Note
03 Dec 2025: The Editor-in-Chief has approved retraction of this article on the following grounds.
1. The paper's "Results" section, which describes the core findings, is in contradiction with the data presented in Table 2.
- Oxidase Test:
Results Text: Claims 95 drinking water, 41 raw milk, and 94 yogurt samples tested positive ("Results revealed a lack of oxidase production… 95 from drinking water, 41 samples from raw milk and 94 from yogurt testing positive…").
Table 2: Shows 96 drinking water, 41 raw milk, and 94 yogurt samples tested positive. (The text value of 95 vs. 96 is also a contradiction).
- Indole Test:
Results Text: Claims 90 drinking water, 41 raw milk, and 92 yogurt samples tested negative ("The indole test revealed negativity in 90 drinking water samples…").
Table 2: Shows 93 drinking water, 41 raw milk, and 92 yogurt samples tested positive. (This is the opposite of the text, and the text value of 90 vs. 93 is also a contradiction).
- Urease Test:
Results Text: Claims 6 drinking water, 12 raw milk, and 39 yogurt samples tested positive.
Table 2: Shows 6 drinking water, 62 raw milk, and 12 yogurt samples tested positive. (The values for milk and yogurt are swapped and/or corrupted).
The text and the table report fundamentally different results for the same experiment.
2. The "Methods" section describes an illogical sample collection.
The text states 300 total samples were collected.
It then states, "75 samples were specifically obtained, comprising 25 each of drinking water, yogurt, and raw milk sourced from both tap water and dairy milk shops in each locality."
It also states the samples were procured from four districts ("north, east, west, and south Lahore").
If 75 samples were collected from each of the four localities, the total sample size would be 300 (75 x 4).
However, if 25 of each type were collected from each of the four localities, the total would be 300 (25 x 3 x 4), but the number of "yogurt" samples would be 100 (25 x 4), not the 100 reported in Table 2.
The authors do not agree to this retraction.
