One hundred random samples of cattle and sheep meat, equipment and workers hands swabs (25 samples of each) were
collected from different abattoirs in Kalyobia governorates. The obtained results indicated that the mean values of APC,
and S. aureus counts in the examined samples were 1.5 x 10⁴ ± 0.9 x 10⁴, 1.77 x 10³ ± 1 x 10³CFU /g for cattle meat, 1 x
10⁴ ± 0.65 x 10⁴, 1.57 x 10⁵ ± 0.83 x 10⁵ CFU /g for sheep meat, 7.4 x 10³ ± 0.29 x 10⁴, 1.1 x 10³ ± 0.33 x 10³ CFU /g for
equipment swab and 5.77 x 10³ ± 0.3 x 10⁴, 7.4 x 10³ ± 0.49 x 10⁴CFU /g, for workers hands swab, respectively. The
incidence of S. aureus was 52%, 48%, 56% and 64% in the examined samples of cattle and sheep meat, equipments and
workers hands swabs, respectively. On the other hand, Methicillin Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was isolated from 32%,
24%, 40% and 44% of the examined samples of cattle and sheep meat, equipments and workers hands swab respectively.
The significance of the isolated bacteria in the examined animal carcasses at abattoir level and possible sources of
contamination as well as some recommendations to improve the quality of these carcasses were discussed