Antibiotic‐Resistant <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis in Raw Chicken Meat of Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Foodborne zoonotic <i>Salmonella</i> is transmitted through contaminated meat, milk, and eggs. This study is aimed at investigating the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile of <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis isolated from raw chicken meat in Dhaka City, Bangladesh. Two hundred raw chicken meat samples were aseptically collected from 20 retail markets located in Dhaka City, and the isolated <i>Salmonella</i> species were identified based on their morphological, cultural, biochemical, and molecular characterization by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The primer sets of the <i>Inv</i>A and Enteritidis-specific STM3098 gene were used for the PCR detection of <i>Salmonella</i> species and <i>S.</i> Enteritidis, respectively. The isolates were then screened for AMR phenotypically and the presence of the tetracycline resistance (<i>Tet</i>A) gene. The prevalence of <i>Salmonella</i> species and <i>S.</i> Enteritidis was 22.5% (<i>n</i> = 45/200) and 18.5% (<i>n</i> = 37/200), respectively. However, the prevalence was constant across all the sample markets (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Tetracycline, amoxicillin, and ampicillin resistance was phenotypically present in all isolates (100%). Furthermore, approximately 70%, 49%, and 30% of <i>S.</i> Enteritidis showed resistance against erythromycin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and ciprofloxacin, respectively. However, <i>S.</i> Enteritidis were sensitive to gentamicin (86.5%), meropenem (64.9%), ciprofloxacin (62.2%), and ceftriaxone (59.5%). The <i>Tet</i>A gene, which causes AMR against tetracycline, was shown to be present in all phenotypically resistant <i>Salmonella</i> species. Multiple antibiotic resistance index (MARI) ranged between 0.3 and 0.8. Overall, multidrug resistant (MDR) <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis emerged in the chicken meat along with the presence of a resistance gene that is a threat to human health. Therefore, action must be taken to stop the spread of AMR.