Salmonella enterica isolated from selected poultry farms in Kwara State, Nigeria between 2015 and 2016 showed resistance to critical antimicrobials

Salmonellosis is a major public health hazard globally. This study was designed to determine the antimicrobial resistance among Salmonella serovars isolated from selected poultry farms in Kwara State, Nigeria between 2015 and 2016 using a cross sectional approach. A total of 58 Salmonella isolates were serotyped, 13 different serovars were identified and subjected to antibiotic susceptibility test using disc diffusion method. All the isolates (100%) exhibited resistance to at least one antimicrobial agent. All of the isolates exhibited 100% resistance to ampicillin, 65.5% of the isolates showed resistance to cefotaxime while 63.8% of the isolates were resistant to either of ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid. Low level of resistance was observed for neomycin (22.4%) compare to other antimicrobials. S. enterica ser. 4, 12, 27: z: - exhibited resistance to all antimicrobial agents. Considering the types of samples that were positive for Salmonella across different local government areas, frequencies of resistance were statistically significant only to gentamicin (P =0.016) in Ilorin west local government area, only nalidixic acid (P =0.014) in Irepodun local government area, only compound sulfonamide (P =0.002) in Asa local government area and streptomycin (P =0.025) in Ilorin-South local government area. The results indicated the relatively high resistance to the antimicrobial agents tested and the multi-drug-resistance among the Salmonella serovars. These observations pose therapeutic concerns on poultry farms in the study area and may serve as potential sources of multi- drug-resistant Salmonella transmission to the humans.