The possible health hazard associated with ready-to-eat (RTE) meat sold in Gwagwalada Abuja and its environs was evaluated by determining the prevalence of Staphylococcus species and investigating the toxigenic potential of Staphylococcus and antibiotics profiles of these zoonotic bacterial isolates. A total of 100 RTE meat samples were purchased based on the availability of the ready-to-eat (RTE) meat vended in the markets. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the four meat sampling spots. The samples collected were transported to the laboratory for microbiological analysis. The samples were pre-enriched in peptone water at 37？C for 24 hours before being streaked on mannitol salt agar plates and incubated for 24 hours. The staphylococcal isolates were identified at the species level by sequencing the sodA and 16S rDNA genes. The genes coding for TSST-1 (tsst), ETA (eta), ETB (etb), and ETD (etd), SEA (sea), SEB (seb) were examined using PCR. Phenotypic determination of resistance to 17 antimicrobial agents was carried out using the disc diffusion method, while genes coding for resistance to erythromycin (ermA, ermB), tetracyclines tet (M), tet (K), and ESBL (TEM, SHV) genes were determined by PCR amplification using their primers. Twenty-four (48%) of the RTE meat samples contained Staphylococci aureus. Eighteen (75%), Ten (41.7%) and Two (8.3%) of the identified Staphylococcus species harbored the highest virulence gene staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) seb, sea, and sec respectively, tsst-1 (25%), eta (29%), etb (0%), and etd (12.5%). Resistance genes detected in the Staphylococcus species were: tetM (20.8%), tetK (8.3%), ermB (29%), ermA (54.2%), blaTEM (29%) and blaSHV (8.3%). Fort-eight per cent of the RTE meat vended in the study area was contaminated with Staphylococci and is of public health importance.
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