Emerging Antibiotic Resistance in Salmonella: Implications for Public Health and Veterinary Medicine

Antibiotics are essential for controlling bacterial infections, but their overuse in human and veterinary medicine has driven antibiotic resistance. This review explores antibiotic use in veterinary medicine, the rise of resistant bacteria, and the role of reptiles in bacterial transmission. Prophylactic antibiotic use in livestock has contributed to resistance in pathogens like Salmonella, which develops resistance through genetic mutations and horizontal gene transfer. Reptiles, including snakes and lizards, harbor diverse bacterial flora (Salmonella spp., Proteus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Staphylococcus spp.), some of which are multi-drug resistant. Studies indicate reptiles act as reservoirs of zoonotic bacteria, facilitating resistance spread. Research on Salmonella in captive and wild reptiles reveals a high infection prevalence, especially in carnivorous species. The growing threat of antimicrobial resistance highlights the need for responsible antibiotic use, enhanced surveillance, and novel antimicrobial development. Understanding microbial diversity in wildlife, particularly reptiles, is crucial to mitigating public health risks and preventing resistance spread.