ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE OF SALMONELLA ENTERICA ISOLATED FROM FECES OF BROILERS IN A SELECTED FARM IN GENERAL NATIVIDAD, NUEVA ECIJA, PHILIPPINES

The widespread usage of antimicrobials due to continued misuse, overuse, or even assimilation in products has prompted the emergence and development of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria in the recent decades. Most common recipients of antimicrobial resistant bacteria are animals which then transmit these bacteria to humans via consumption. Salmonella enterica, an enteric pathogen, can be acquired from consumption of contaminated or undercooked food, particularly chicken. Salmonellosis, the infection of Salmonella enterica, causes gastroenteritis and although frequently self-limiting, it can nonetheless be fatal to humans in cases of systemic infections. This disease is estimated to affect millions of humans annually and causing thousands of deaths globally. This study aims to detect the presence of antimicrobial resistant Salmonella enterica from broiler feces and determine its susceptibility profile.Thirty fecal samples from broilers were collected from a selected farm in Nueva Ecija and were subjected to traditional culture methods. A total of 40 bacterial isolates were detected and their antimicrobial susceptibility profiles identified using the VITEK® 2 system. Only one (1) of the 30 fecal samples was identified to be Salmonella enterica (3.3%) but is found to be multi-drug resistant. This finding poses a significant threat to public health and emphasizes the need for intensified surveillance and interventions aimed towards One Health.