Prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella sp. in retail chicken in Indonesia

Aims: Broiler chicken meat is one of the animal protein foods widely consumed worldwide.Antibiotics are often used as therapy, prevention, and even growth promoters in the livestock sector to meet the high demand for broiler meat.Irrational antibiotic use and low doses can cause antibiotic resistance that can develop into multidrug resistance, which will affect human health if consumed, primarily through Salmonella sp.contamination, a food-borne disease.This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of multidrug resistance of Salmonella sp. in chicken meat in Jember, Indonesia.Methodology and results: Thirty broiler meat samples were taken from 6 traditional markets in Jember, East Java, Indonesia.In this study, Salmonella sp. from isolates of broiler meat were identified by biochemical testing, Gram staining, and bacterial culture on SCA and SSA medium.Then, a sensitivity test was conducted.The results showed that 26 samples (87%) were positive for Salmonella sp.Salmonella sp., which contaminates broiler meat, showed multidrug resistance with at least five antibiotics and a MAR index between 0.625 and 1. Conclusion, significance and impact of study:The significant frequency of Salmonella-resistant strains suggests that these medications should be used with caution in chicken production to prevent the incidence and spread of antibiotic resistance profiles, as well as the danger that multi resistant strains isolated from broilers constitute a concern to human health.