Mohammed Lawal 

Curriculum :
MTech Food Safety

ACE affiliate :
African Center of Excellence for Mycotoxins and Food Safety (ACEMFS), Federal University of Technology, Minna - Nigeria.

Thesis title :
Molecular characterization and antibiotic susceptibility profile of Campylobacteriosis agents isolated from raw beef and poultry meat in Ghana.

Start date:
January 2021

Problem statement:
Incidences of campylobacteriosis have increased significantly over the last decade and continue to rise worldwide. Campylobacter species are the leading cause of food-borne bacterial illness worldwide, with over 400 to 500 million cases per year. 

• Surveillance reports on the prevalence of Campylobacteriosis and its antibiotic resistance patterns in Ghana are almost non-existent, despite the fact that this disease poses a major threat to public health and national and economic development. Several factors, including the overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming, have necessitated the emergence of reports on the increasing rate of Campylobacter resistance to currently used antibiotics. Consumption of undercooked meat is considered the main risk factor for campylobacteriosis. 
• Meat is a regular component of the human diet, and antimicrobial-resistant strains could be transmitted to humans through the consumption of contaminated meat. A major factor limiting understanding of the current Campylobacteriosis situation in Ghana is the lack of information on surveillance of the bacterium.