09/04/2026
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RESEARCH | Salmonella enterica is one of the most common foodborne pathogens worldwide. It is classified into two types: typhoidal, which causes typhoid fever, and non-typhoidal (NTS), which can lead to food poisoning and, in some cases, severe infections. NTS spreads through animals, food, and the environment, with poultry and poultry products being major sources. A growing concern is the emergence of NTS that are resistant to multiple antibiotics, making infections harder to treat.
In this study, we characterized NTS from chicken meat through whole-genome sequencing. Chicken samples, supplied by local farms to slaughterhouses, were collected from public wet markets in Metro Manila.
Our findings revealed that our 95 isolates from the chicken cut samples belong to 15 distinct NTS “strains,” with Salmonella Infantis being the most common. By testing 15 different antibiotic classes, we found that 73.68% of our NTS were resistant to at least one antibiotic, and 45.26% were resistant to three or more antibiotic classes. We also identified the genes responsible for these resistance traits. Additionally, we found genes that enhance the ability of NTS to infect humans and animals.
These findings highlight a potential public health risk, as NTS in chicken meat can spread throughout the entire farm-to-fork continuum, from farms to consumers.
Authors: Michael Joseph M. Nagpala (Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions Research Laboratory, Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman | Microbiology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños), Jonah Feliza B. Mora (Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions Research Laboratory, Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman), Rance Derrick N. Pavon (Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions Research Laboratory, Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman) and Windell L. Rivera (Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions Research Laboratory, Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman)
Published in Frontiers in Microbiology
Read more: https://ovpaa.up.edu.ph/research/nearly-50-of-isolates-from-chicken-meat-collected-from-metro-manila-markets-are-resistant-to-three-or-more-types-of-antibiotics/
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