Comparative phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Salmonella spp. in pig farms and slaughterhouses in two provinces in northern Thailand

PLoS One. 2015 Feb 18;10(2):e0116581. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116581. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Salmonella spp. are an important group of bacterial zoonotic pathogens which can cause acute food-borne diseases in humans. Pork products are the main source of salmonellosis, but the origins and transmission routes of the disease have not been clearly determined. The purpose of this study was to characterize Salmonella spp. isolated in pig production lines both from pig farms and from slaughterhouses in Chiang Mai and Lamphun provinces in northern Thailand. The study focuses on the association among serotypes, antimicrobial resistance patterns and Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns to investigate possible sources of infection and to provide information which could help strengthen salmonellosis control programs in the region. A total of 86 strains of Salmonella comprising five majority serotypes were identified. Antibiotic resistance to tetracycline was found to be the most prevalent (82.56%) followed by ampicillin (81.40%) and streptomycin (63.95%). Seven clusters and 28 fingerprint-patterns generated by PFGE were identified among strains recovered from various locations and at different times, providing information on associations among the strains as well as evidence of the existence of persistent strains in some areas. Study results suggest that Salmonella control programs should be implemented at slaughterhouse production lines, including surveillance to insure good hygiene practices, in addition to regular monitoring of large populations of farm animals.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abattoirs*
  • Agriculture*
  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial / genetics
  • Genotype*
  • Phenotype*
  • Salmonella / drug effects
  • Salmonella / genetics*
  • Salmonella / isolation & purification*
  • Swine / microbiology*
  • Thailand

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents

Grants and funding

This study has been carried out with financial support from the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) Project ID: P-10-10409 and P-11-00729. Laboratory analysis was provided by WHO National Salmonella and Shigella Center Laboratory (NSSC), Nonthaburi, Thailand. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.