UNAIR NEWS – Happiness seen from Risi Cicilia. She was appointed as the best graduate of Animal Disease and Veterinary Public Health Master’s program, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FKH) Universitas Airlangga, in March 2018 graduation. He achieved a perfect GPA, 4.00.

She studied about: “ Identification of Escherichia Coli Bacteria Producing Extended Spectrum β-Lactamse on Beef sold in Wet Market Using Vitek-2 Method” . The title was chosen because it is one of the science development topics in the world today.

“The problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics has become a world problem. And, the World Health Organization (WHO) has written it on the World Health Agenda which is the determination of the ten-year vision of the future of health as a health threat in the world, “said Risi.

One of the antibiotics resistant bacteria is E. Coli that produces the Extended Spectrum β-Lactamse (ESBL) enzyme . Enzyme from the gram-negative bacteria made almost all β-Lactam type antibiotics such as Penicillin, Cepalosporin, and Monobactam Aztreonam did not work. Meanwhile, Risi’s research focuses on E. Coli on community consumption beef.

“People who eat E. coli-tainted beef, especially those that can produce ESBL, can get sick and difficult to heal. This can lead to complications, even death, “explained Risi.

Meat samples from the five markets were then isolated with selective media and biochemical tests. Furthermore, the sample resistance was tested by the diffusion disk method on six types of antibiotics, ie Ampicillin, Cefazolin, Ceftriaxone, Cefotaxime, Ceftazidime, and Tetracyclin. If there is resistance, the process was followed by identification of bacteria type through the Vitek-2 System method. For all of those, Risi had some obstacles.

“The cost was not small. The process of getting samples of beef was difficult as the markets are far away from each other. Furthermore, it should be collected around dawn so the meat is still fresh, ” she said.

Risi who worked at the Agricultural Office hoped that her thesis is able to provide data on the source of ESBL bacteria transmission needed by WHO, especially from beef, as a contribution to the country and society. (*)

Author: Hilmi Putera Pradana.

Editor : Feri Fenoria.