The emergence of Fluoroquinolone resistant and Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Salmonella spp. isolated from Poultry in Pakistan

The rise of antimicrobial-resistant and Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamases producing Salmonella strains in poultry is a severe health threat worldwide, particularly in developing countries like Pakistan. The current study aimed to investigate the isolation and identification of Cefotaxime and Ciprofloxacin-Resistant Salmonella strains originating from poultry. During this study, 78 (26.0%) Salmonella strains were isolated from 300 diverse poultry samples. The isolated 78 Salmonella strains were identified as S. pullorum, S. gallinarum, S. enteritidis, S. enterica, S. paratyphi, S. typhimurium, S. typhi, S. arizonae, and 19% other Salmonella spp. by API 20E method. The antibiotic susceptibility profile showed that 61% of MDR Salmonella strains were isolated from diverse poultry samples. MDR rates were high in serovars S. enterica, S. typhimurium, S. enteritidis, S. arizonae, and S. gallinarum. Co-resistant to cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin in 56.4% of Salmonella strains was observed. Among 44 phenotypically ESBL-positive Salmonella strains, 36 (81.8%) carried bla CTX-M and 38 (86%) carried bla CTX-M-1. A High incidence rate of bla CTX-M and bla-CTX-M-1 was observed among S. enteritidis (19% and 21%), S. enterica (11% and 16%), S. typhimurium (13% and16%) and S. typhi (3% and 5%). Among 29 phenotypically MBL-positive Salmonella strains, 13 (44.8%) carried bla VIM and 6 (20.6%) carried bla IMP. The 67% prevalence of gyr A was observed in fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella strains. The most prevalent fluoroquinolone strains were S. enteritidis (19%), S. typhimurium (19%), S. typhi (13%), and S. gallinarum (12%). Fluoroquinolone-resistant, MBL, and ESBL-producing Salmonella strains from poultry are a matter of great concern for both livestock and public health, demonstrating the dissemination risk of these microorganisms through the food chain.