Prevalence and Antibiotic Resistance of Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Broiler Chicken Meat in Modern and Traditional Slaughterhouses of Morocco

Abstract

Handling and consuming contaminated meat can lead to food poisoning and the acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Salmonella spp. are the most isolated bacteria from broiler chicken meat, leading to serious foodborne diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate the presence and antibiogram profiles of Salmonella spp. and S. aureus strains in poultry meat purchased from modern and traditional poultry slaughterhouses in Morocco. Foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella spp. and S. aureus, were isolated from poultry meat using standard methods and then confirmed by biochemical tests (coagulase, catalase, oxidase, motility and API 20E for further biochemical identification) and an immunological test (serotyping test). The antibiogram of the isolates was determined using the agar diffusion method and interpreted according to the criteria of performance standards for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, Wayne, Pennsylvania, USA. A total of 540 poultry meat samples were collected and treated (360 poultry meat samples from traditional slaughterhouses and 180 poultry meat samples from modern slaughterhouses), out of which 15.92% were S. aureus positive and 7.40% were Salmonella spp. positive. In traditional poultry slaughterhouses, the prevalence rates of Salmonella spp. and S. aureus were 11.11% and 20.55%, respectively. In contrast, Salmonella spp. was not detected in poultry samples of modern poultry slaughterhouses, and the prevalence of S. aureus was 6.66%. All S. aureus and 97% of Salmonella spp. isolates were found resistant to at least one antibiotic, while 86% of S. aureus and 30% of Salmonella spp. showed resistance to more than three antibiotics. The obtained results of the present study confirmed that broiler chicken meat purchased from traditional poultry slaughterhouses was mainly contaminated by Salmonella spp. and S. aureus, indicating a major public health risk in Morocco. Therefore, considerable efforts should be made to apply appropriate hygiene practices.

Prevalence of Antimicrobial-resistant Bacteria in HACCP Facilities

“…While the prevalence of Salmonella spp. and S. aureus obtained in this study (Table 1) is lower than that reported for poultry meat in Cambodia 17) , Egypt 18) , India 19) , Morocco 20) , and Thailand 21) the noncompliance of Salmonella spp. in poultry meat processing plants requires attention.…”

Detection and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Salmonella spp. Isolated From Commercial Eggs in Tiaret Province, Algeria

“…Salmonella has been the primary cause of the foodborne salmonellosis pandemic in humans over the last 20 years, during which egg products were the most often identified vehicle of the infection (Moosavy et al, 2015;Long et al, 2017). Over the past decades, the improper and uncontrolled use of antibiotics has allowed the appearance of strains of Salmonella with multiple drug resistance in many countries (Ben Salem et al, 2012;Nacer et al, 2022;Samy et al, 2022). For that reason, the antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella has become a matter of concern worldwide due to the significant threat that can present to public health (Wu and Hulme, 2021).…”

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Escherichia coli isolated from the chicken liver in relation to slaughterhouse conditions

“…Formal slaughterhouses are government-approved facilities that adhere to strict animal welfare, hygiene, and food safety standards. Using these systems ensures humane treatment of animals and minimizes contamination risks [ 54 ]. Many low-income countries, including Jordan, have informal slaughter facilities known as backyard or unregulated slaughterhouses.…”