Prevalence and molecular characterization of foodborne and human-derived Salmonella strains for resistance to critically important antibiotics.

The primary goals of this cross-sectional study were to screen various food/water, and human samples for the presence of Salmonella species, and to assess the phenotypic and genetic relationship between resistances found in food and human Salmonella isolates to critically important antibiotics. Between November 2019 and May 2021, 501 samples were randomly collected for Salmonella isolation and identification using standard culturing methods, biochemical, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and PCR techniques. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on confirmed Salmonella species, and PCR was used to investigate the genetic components that confer these resistance traits.