A systematic review and meta-analysis found significant levels of multidrug-resistant Salmonella in livestock- and poultry-derived foods in Bangladesh, researchers reported today in JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance.
The 12 studies included in the meta-analysis were published from 2000 to 2022 and examined 1,411 food samples derived from chickens, cattle, and goats. The combined prevalence of Salmonella in the samples was 37%, and subgroup analysis found a high prevalence of resistance to routinely used antibiotics among the Salmonella isolates, including tetracycline (81%), oxytetracycline (52%), doxycycline (51%), sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (42%), and ciprofloxacin (20%). A univariate meta-analysis and correlation analysis found that the prevalence of Salmonella increased with every year.
The World Health Organization estimates that Salmonella causes 93.8 million cases of gastroenteritis globally. In addition to the threat posed to people consuming Salmonella-contaminated food, the study authors note that the findings are particularly concerning in a country like Bangladesh, where domestic chickens—the most common source of Salmonellosis—are routinely given antibiotics, live close to humans, and can shed the bacteria into the environment.
"AMR [antimicrobial resistance] is expected to increase by 70% in Asia, posing a national and global threat," they wrote. "To reduce the risk of pathogenic AMR bacteria originating from animal origin foods, raising awareness about the rational use of antibiotics in food animals, safe food handling and safe cooking practices is obligatory."