Prevalence of <i>Salmonella</i> in Poultry Slaughterhouses of Kerman, Iran

Background: Salmonella is a prevalent infectious agent that infects several animals. Chicken is a main meal for humans, and the infectivity of the animal by bacteria threatens both human health and economic conditions. Improving our knowledge regarding the prevalence of Salmonella in chicken can help us organize new strategies to increase the quality of food in Iran. This project aimed to explore the prevalence of Salmonella infection among chickens from poultry slaughterhouses in Kerman, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 100 samples of chicken meat from poultry slaughterhouses supplied to shopping centers in Kerman were collected for investigation. To confirm the Salmonella infection, tissues were homogenized under sterile conditions and then either cultured in differentiated media, or their bacterial DNA was extracted and tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The infected chicken underwent a PCR test to determine the Salmonella species. The isolates of Salmonella were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing by the disc-diffusion method against imipenem (10 μg), and the presence of the blaNDM gene was detected by PCR. Results: The findings revealed that 50 out of 100 samples were infected by Salmonella, which was confirmed by both microbial culture and RT-PCR. The PCR test demonstrated that three samples were Salmonella Enteritidis, and two samples were Salmonella Typhimurium. Finally, 17 (34%) Salmonella isolates were resistant to imipenem, and the frequency of the blaNDM gene was 38 (76%) out of 50 samples. Conclusion: The isolation of Salmonella from the chicken’s meat may indicate a chicken’s systemic infection and failure to control the most important microbe for public health. Thus, the control measures have to be revised, and a national Salmonella control program should be put in place urgently.