Multiple Drug Resistance Salmonella and Antibiotic Residues in Egyptian Animal Products

Abstract

Food of animal origin is considered a primary source of foodborne diseases. The misuse of antibiotics to treat and control many bacterial diseases in farm animals has led to multiple antibiotic-resistant pathogens in contaminated food that can seriously threaten public health. The present study aimed to highlight the impact of antimicrobial misuse in Egyptian beef meat, poultry, and dairy farms on the emergence of multiple antibiotic resistance Salmonella and the detection of antibiotic residues in milk. A total of 1050 samples were collected randomly from poultry (liver, intestinal content, and bone marrow), meat, and milk products from different Egyptian governorates. Salmonellae were isolated from the collected samples and subjected to antimicrobial sensitivity testing through disk diffusion test using the most commonly used seven antibiotics in veterinary fields (cefradine, ciprofloxacin, oxytetracycline, erythromycin, amoxicillin, ampicillin, and streptomycin). The detection of oxytetracycline residue in milk samples was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Most isolated Salmonellae were multiple drug resistant with an incidence rate of 8.6%, 15.4%, and 4% from poultry, meat-associated products, and milk-associated products, respectively, from different governorates. Antibiogram test showed that the isolated Salmonella from poultry, meat, and milk samples were resistant to oxytetracycline at 100%, 31.4%, and 43%, to amoxicillin at 73.3%, 31%, and 50%, and to ampicillin 66.6%, 50%, and 57%, respectively. No resistance to ciprofloxacin was detected in Salmonella isolates from all samples. Using HPLC, oxytetracycline residues were detected in milk samples. In conclusion, more attention should be paid to the connection between the widespread emergence of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella in Egypt and the overuse of antimicrobials in poultry, dairy, and meat farms. This connection affects consumer health and increases the likelihood of resistance genes spreading between different bacterial species.