Prevalence, antibiotic resistance, virulence and antimicrobial resistance gene profiles of Salmonella species recovered from retail beef and poultry processing environments.

BACKGROUND

This study investigates the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance, genotypic resistance profiles, and virulence gene distribution of Salmonella isolates from poultry and beef processing environments in Shahrekord, Iran.

METHOD

A total of 680 samples were collected from poultry (n = 300) and beef (n = 380) products between January and December 2023.

RESULTS

Salmonella was detected in 21% (63/300) of poultry samples and 15.8% (60/380) of beef samples, with non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) being the predominant serovar. High antimicrobial resistance (AMR) rates were observed across both food types, with the most common resistances found in ciprofloxacin (48%), tetracycline (44%), and ampicillin (39%). Genotypic analysis revealed the presence of key resistance genes, including bla (35%), tetA (29%), and sul1 (23%). Virulence gene analysis identified invA (92%), agfA (80%), and hilA (76%) as the most prevalent genes. Comparative analysis of resistance patterns between poultry and beef samples revealed higher resistance in poultry isolates to ciprofloxacin and tetracycline.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights significant antimicrobial resistance and the presence of virulence factors in Salmonella isolates from retail beef and poultry, suggesting a potential risk to public health and the need for enhanced surveillance and control measures in food processing environments.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

Not applicable.