Evaluation of the Level of Contamination with Salmonella spp. in Red Meat, Chicken, and Domestic and Industrial Eggs Produced in Talesh City and Assessment of Their Antibiotic Resistance Pattern, Iran

Red meat, chicken meat and egg play a crucial role in supplying human dietary protein. Bacteria of enterobacteriaceae family, particularly Salmonella spp. Are one of the factors that endanger the health of protein food product. This study was undertaken aimed at determining the contamination level of these foodstuffs with Salmonella spp. and then evaluating their antibiotic resistance pattern. In this descriptive-cross sectional study, chicken, domestic eggs, and industrial eggs, each of them 100 samples, and 150 samples of red meats (beef and lamb) were collected through random sampling in Talesh city, and were assessed for contamination with Salmonella. For a definitive identification, biochemical assays as well as agglutination tests with related antisera were used. Data were analyzed using chi-square test. The significance level of differences was considered p<0.05. No bacteria were observed in the inner content of the domestic and industrial eggs. However 19 (19%) Salmonella isolates were obtained from the outer surface of industrial eggs shell, 4 (4%) from domestic eggs, 21 (21%) from industrial chicken, 5 (5%) from domestic chicken, and 5 (3.3%) from red meat. In terms of antibiotic resistance in isolated bacteria, the highest resistance was seen against erythromycin, nalidixic acid, and sulfamethoxazole, and the most susceptibility was for ciprofloxacin, cephalexin, and gentamicin. Based on the obtained results, attention to healthiness of foodstuffs is of particular importance for prevention of food-borne infections. Also, in order to prevent the appearance of resistant strains, indiscriminate use of antibiotics should be avoided in poultry and livestock industries.