Antibiotic-Resistant Enteritidis in Raw Chicken Meat of Dhaka City, Bangladesh.

Foodborne zoonotic is transmitted through contaminated meat, milk, and eggs. This study is aimed at investigating the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile of Enteritidis isolated from raw chicken meat in Dhaka City, Bangladesh. Two hundred raw chicken meat samples were aseptically collected from 20 retail markets located in Dhaka City, and the isolated species were identified based on their morphological, cultural, biochemical, and molecular characterization by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The primer sets of the A and Enteritidis-specific STM3098 gene were used for the PCR detection of species and Enteritidis, respectively. The isolates were then screened for AMR phenotypically and the presence of the tetracycline resistance (A) gene. The prevalence of species and Enteritidis was 22.5% ( = 45/200) and 18.5% ( = 37/200), respectively. However, the prevalence was constant across all the sample markets ( > 0.05). Tetracycline, amoxicillin, and ampicillin resistance was phenotypically present in all isolates (100%). Furthermore, approximately 70%, 49%, and 30% of Enteritidis showed resistance against erythromycin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and ciprofloxacin, respectively. However, Enteritidis were sensitive to gentamicin (86.5%), meropenem (64.9%), ciprofloxacin (62.2%), and ceftriaxone (59.5%). The A gene, which causes AMR against tetracycline, was shown to be present in all phenotypically resistant species. Multiple antibiotic resistance index (MARI) ranged between 0.3 and 0.8. Overall, multidrug resistant (MDR) Enteritidis emerged in the chicken meat along with the presence of a resistance gene that is a threat to human health. Therefore, action must be taken to stop the spread of AMR.