Isolation and characterization of antibiotic susceptibility profile of <i>Salmonella</i> species isolated from abattoir environment

Abstract

In this study we investigated the antibiogramic profile of Salmonella species isolated from abattoir environment. A total of 72 samples were collected from three different stations [station A (the drainage), station B (stagnant water in potholes and floors around the abattoir) and station C (water used for washing the meat slaughtered at the abattoir)] between January and June 2017. All samples were processed and analysed using standard culturebased and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. The mean total heterotrophic bacteria population densities were: station A 2.0×10¹⁰ ± 0.02 CFU/ml; station B 1.6×10¹⁰ ± 0.10 CFU/ml and station C 3.9×10⁹ ± 0.05 CFU/ml. The mean total salmonellae population density were 2.4×10⁵ ± 0.14 CFU/ml,1.3×10⁵ ± 0.15 CFU/ml, and 1.0×10⁴ ± 0.06 CFU/ml for station A, station B and station C respectively. A total of 50 confirmed salmonellae, using PCR identification system, were subjected to antimicrobial profiling using the disc diffusion method. The resistance profile of the isolates revealed that 24 (48%) of the isolates were resistant to piperacillin, 50 (100%) to gentamycin, 50 (100%) were resistant to tetracycline, while 22 (44%) of the isolates were resistant to aztreonam. Multidrug resistance (MDR) profile of the isolates revealed that 22 (44%) of the isolates were resistant to piperacillin, gentamycin, tetracycline, and aztreonam belonging to four antimicrobial class. Our findings revealed that abattoir environments could be a potential reservoir of multi-antibiotic resistant Salmonella species.

Keywords: Abattoir, Salmonellae, Antibiogramic Profile, Multi-Drug Resistance, Effluent