| Abstract: | Salmonella is the most common etiological agent ofcases and outbreaks of foodborne diarrheal illnesses. The emergence and spreadof Salmonella spp., which has become multi-drug resistant andpotentially more pathogenic, have increased the concern with this pathogen. Inthis study, 237 Salmonella spp., associated or not withfoodborne salmonellosis in Brazil, belonging mainly to serotype Enteritidis,were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility and the presence of the virulencegenes spvC, invA, sefA andpefA. Of the isolates, 46.8% were sensitive to allantimicrobials and 51.9% were resistant to at least one antimicrobialagent. Resistance to more than one antimicrobial agent was observed in10.5% of the strains. The highest rates of resistance were observed forstreptomycin (35.9%) and nalidixic acid (16.9%).No strain was resistant to cefoxitin, cephalothin, cefotaxime, amikacin,ciprofloxacin and imipenem. The invA gene was detected in allstrains. Genes spvC and pefA were found in48.1% and 44.3% of strains, respectively. The genesefA was detected in 31.6% of the strains and onlyamong S. Enteritidis. Resistance and virulence determinantswere detected in Salmonella strains belonging to severalserotypes. The high rates of antibiotic-resistance in strains isolated frompoultry products demonstrate the potential risk associated with the consumptionof these products and the need to ensure good food hygiene practices from farmto table to reduce the spread of pathogens relevant to public health. |
