Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance Non-Typhoidal Salmonella Isolated from Livestock in Abia State, Nigeria

This present study isolated and investigated the antibiotic profiles of Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) from fecal samples of livestock in Abia state, Nigeria.384 feces samples of each of four animals (cows, goats, pigs, poultry) collected from 9 local government areas in the state were analyzed between 2019 and 2022.Standard microbiological procedures were followed in isolation and identification of the Salmonella isolates and the identified NTS confirmed with PCR.Antibiotic susceptibility test on these organisms were done using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method and a panel of 15 commercially sold antibiotics: ciprofloxacin, aztreonam, cefpodoxime, colistin, cefoxitin, cefotaxime, cotrimoxazole, imipenem, tetracycline, amoxicillin-clavunalic acid, ceftazidime, ampicillin, cefepime, ceftriazone, and gentamicin.Presence of five resistance genes: SHV, CTX-M, IMP, TEM and mcr-1 were determined in the isolates.The identified NTS in the animals confirmed using PCR were Salmonella enterica, Var Typhimurium, Salmonella enterica var.Enteritidis and Salmonella Dublin.The results show that the highest prevalence of NTS in animals in Abia state was from Aba South LGA (7.14%), while the least was from Umunneochi LGA (2.98%).Others fell between 7.14% and 2.98%.In conclusion, data from this study indicates a varied prevalence of NTS across different local government areas, with notable antibiotic resistance observed among the isolates.The findings underscore the critical need for continuous surveillance and the implementation of effective antibiotic stewardship programs to mitigate the spread of resistance.