Abstract
Salmonella enterica is one of the most important foodborne pathogens around the world. In the last years, S. enterica serovar Infantis has become an important emerging pathogen in many countries, often as multidrug resistant clones. To understand the importance of S. enterica in the broiler industry in Ecuador, we performed a study based on phenotypic and WGS data of isolates from poultry farms, chicken carcasses and humans. We showed a high prevalence of S. enterica in poultry farms (41.4%) and chicken carcasses (55.5%), but a low prevalence (1.98%) in human samples. S. Infantis was shown to be the most prevalent serovar with a 98.2, 97.8, and 50% in farms, foods, and humans, respectively, presenting multidrug resistant patterns. All sequenced S. Infantis isolates belonged to ST32. For the first time, a pESI-related megaplasmid was identified in Ecuadorian samples. This plasmid contains genes of antimicrobial resistance, virulence factors, and environmental stress tolerance. Genomic analysis showed a low divergence of S. Infantis strains in the three analyzed components. The results from this study provide important information about genetic elements that may help understand the molecular epidemiology of S. Infantis in Ecuador.
Highlights
Foodborne infections caused by Salmonella enterica are of primary importance worldwide
There has been a clear rise in the prevalence of multidrug resistant Salmonella enterica worldwide, especially of serovar Infantis [11, 48,49,50]
To better explain the epidemiology of Salmonella in Ecuador, we studied S. enterica isolated from poultry farms, chicken carcasses and human stool samples in Quito
Summary
Foodborne infections caused by Salmonella enterica are of primary importance worldwide. The WHO estimates that Salmonella causes more than 153 million illnesses, 120,281 deaths, and 8.27 million disability-adjusted life years annually [1]. As foodstuffs can be contaminated in several parts of the food chain, a “from farm to table” approach is necessary to understand the epidemiology of Salmonella. Salmonella can contaminate vegetables, food-producing animals, especially poultry, are considered important sources for human infections [2, 3]. In Latin American countries, poultry is one of the main sources of protein of animal origin. This is the case of Ecuador, where poultry meat is the most consumed commodity with a yearly per capita consumption of 30.4 Kg [4]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
