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.