Isolation and Evaluation of Antimicrobial-resistant Patterns of Food-borne Salmonella Enteritidis from Chicken Meat Samples

Abstract

Aims: This study was undertaken to isolate and evaluate the antimicrobial resistance pattern of food-borne Salmonella Enteritidis from the chicken meat samples. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Samples collected from various retail chicken outlets of the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu between January 2025- May 2025. Methodology: 100 chicken meat samples were randomly collected from various sources and processed for isolation of Salmonella Spp. as recommended by the FDA by pre-enrichment in buffered peptone water, followed by enrichment and streaking in Rappaport-Vassiliadis broth and XLD agar, respectively. Then the presumptive isolates were stained and biochemically characterized using standard procedures. The typical isolates were finally confirmed using S. Enteritidis-specific PCR and evaluated for their antibiotic sensitivity profile. Results: Among the 100 chicken samples processed for isolation, 16 samples showed typical presumptive colony morphology in selective media; However, among those, 7 were confirmed as Salmonella Spp. by biochemical tests. Out of those 7 biochemically characterized Salmonella Spp. 6 were confirmed as Salmonella Enteritidis by serovar-specific PCR. All six characterized isolates were resistant to multiple groups of antibiotics, viz. Nalidixic Acid, Sulfadiazine, Cefpodoxime, Cefoperazone, Gentamicin, Tetracycline, and Amoxicillin in in vitro sensitivity analysis. Conclusion: This alarming increase in antimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens needs extensive research and education to overcome the threat in the near future.