Prevalence and genotypic characterization of Salmonella spp. from chicken meats marketed in the province of Skikda, Algeria.

Here, we aim to determine the prevalence of Salmonella contamination of poultry meat from butcheries of the province of Skikda and to investigate antibiotic resistance. Salmonella spp. isolates were screened from 70 samples, including chicken breasts (n = 40 samples) and chicken thighs (n = 30 samples) collected from 14 butcheries. All suspected Salmonella colonies from selective media were confirmed by MALDI-TOF MS and serotyped. The susceptibility profile to 16 antibiotics was studied. According to the antibiotic susceptibility results, resistance genes were investigated by standard PCR targeting various genes such as blaSHV, blaTEM, aac3, aac6-Ibcr, aad, qnrA and qnrB. Of the 14 butcheries studied, samples from eight butcheries were contaminated with Salmonella (57.14%). 19 Salmonella strains were isolated, including five serotypes with a predominance of Kentucky serotype (n = 9), Enteridis (n = 3), followed by Heidelberg (n = 3), Virchow (n = 3), and Manhattan (n= 1). All isolates were resistant to Rifampicin (100%; n = 19), and to other antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin (47.36%), Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (47.36%; n = 9), Amoxicillin, (47.36%; n = 9), Ticarcillin-clavulanic acid (47.36%; n = 9), and Gentamycin (47.36%; n = 9). All isolates showing multidrug resistance (47.36%; n = 9) were positive by PCR to the blaTEM-1 β-lactamase gene, from which 8 strains carried the aminoglycoside resistance aad7 gene. However, none was positive for the tested blaSHV, Aac3, Aac6-Ibcr, qnrA, qnrB, ArmA and ArmB genes. Our findings show a worrying rate of Salmonella contamination of poultry meats.