Journal of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
(ISSN: 2659 – 0743)
Volume 8, No. 1, 2026
Pages 115-125
DOI: 10.36108/jvbs/6202.80.0190
Occurrence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Salmonella enterica in Clinical and Food Samples in Northcentral Nigeria
Bolaji O. Akanbi1*, Azeemat F. Fatomoye1, Halima H. Mali1, Ikilima A. Mohammed1, Destiny E. Nosakhare1, Sabdat O. Zuberu1, Amarachi A. Egemba1, and Esther E. Idakwo1
1Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Abuja, PMB 117 FCT, Abuja, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to determine the occurrence of typhoidal and non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) in ready- to-eat foods and human clinical cases. In northcentral Nigeria, NTS have not been well studied and the reservoirs, transmission and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns are poorly understood. A variety of commonly eaten foods including local fermented milk, grilled beef, pork and commercial chicken eggs as well as stool samples were examined for Salmonella. Samples were analyzed by pre-enrichment in lactose broth, selective enrichment with Selenite F and Rappaport–Vassiliadis (RV) broths and culture on Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate (XLD) agar. The bacteriological quality of foods was evaluated by bacterial counts and presence of Escherichia coli. Salmonella was identified by biochemical tests and confirmed by PCR with primers targeting invA gene. The antibiogram of the isolates was determined by disc diffusion assay. The occurrence of Salmonella in food and clinical fecal samples was 17% (12/72) and 55 % (11/20). Grilled pork, grilled beef, Egg and fermented milk had detection rates of 26.7 % (4/15), 25% (5/20), 13% (3/22) and 5% (1/20) respectively. Whilst all Salmonella isolates of fecal origin were typhoidal, 5 isolates from food were NTS. Antimicrobial resistance profile of the isolates indicated that 57.89% were resistant to multiple classes of antibacterial agents. However, all isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin and chloramphenicol. The results provide baseline data of typhoidal and NT Salmonella in Northcentral Nigeria, confirm under reportage of NTS, show gaps in food safety practices and the continued need for surveillance of Salmonellae in food and in clinical cases.
Keywords: Salmonella, Antimicrobial resistance, Occurrence, Northcentral Nigeria