Phenotypes and antimicrobial resistance genes in <i>Salmonella</i> isolated from retail chicken and pork in Changchun, China

Abstract

Abstract The rate of the rise of drug resistance among pathogens in China is the fastest in the world. However, the resistance patterns for Salmonella serovars remain unknown. This study aimed to describe the resistance patterns for Salmonella serovars and confirm possible associations between antibiotic resistance and genes in connection to serovars. Five Salmonella serotypes were identified, with S. typhi (41.67%), S. enteritidis (20.83%) and S. typhimurium (18.75%) being the three most common strains. The majority of the Salmonella strains (93.75%) were resistant to one or more antimicrobial compounds. Multidrug resistance was only found in Salmonella from chicken, whereas isolates from pork were only resistant to tetracycline. Eight of 11 resistance genes were detected. Eight Salmonella isolates could transfer resistance genes to the recipient strain. These results indicated that the Salmonella isolates were resistant to more than one type of antibiotic, and resistance could be transmitted to humans through animal‐based foods. Practical applications Salmonella is one of the world's most important food‐borne pathogens. This study investigated Salmonella and drug resistance in fresh chicken and pork from the market to describe the resistance patterns for Salmonella serovars. The majority of the Salmonella strains were resistant to one or more antimicrobial compounds. Some Salmonella isolates could transfer resistance genes to Escherichia coli . Therefore, this study has significant application value for understanding the security situation of animal food and strengthening surveillance of food‐borne zoonotic pathogens along the food chain.