Antimicrobial resistance patterns of Salmonella in Ethiopia: A review

Abstract

Foods of animal origin have been consistently implicated in sporadic cases and outbreaks of salmonellosis, and are widely acknowledged to be a significant reservoir for Salmonella. The usage of growth promoting agents (GPAs) in food animal production is a major public health threat that can contribute to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance bacteria. Extensive and improper use of antimicrobial drugs in food animal agriculture can also establish reservoirs of antimicrobial resistant bacteria, significantly impacting public health. There are an increased number of reports on antibiotic resistance and multiple drug resistant salmonellosis in developing countries caused by both Salmonella typhi and non-typhoidal Salmonella species. In Ethiopia, there have been studies conducted on salmonellosis which suggest an increase in the antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella to commonly used antimicrobials in both public health and veterinary sectors. For example, 31.8% of Salmonella isolates from sheep and goat, 44.4% of isolates from camels, 52% isolates from cattle and 87.2% isolates from minced beef and chicken were resistant to one or more antimicrobials commonly used to treat both human and animal infections. High proportion of Salmonella isolates developed resistance to the commonly prescribed antimicrobials and this may be a considerable risk in the treatment of clinical case. Therefore, isolation of drug resistant Salmonella strains from a wide range of sources, from humans, food animals and animal food products underlines the need for judicious use of antimicrobial agents in both clinical practice and animal husbandry, as well as the need for cooperative and coordinated surveillance and monitoring programs.