Abstract:
Salmonella remains one of the notable food-borne bacterial pathogens. It is associated with
poultry and poultry products including eggs. This study investigated Salmonella distribution in
eggshell and content, their antimicrobial resistance pattern, and the possible risk factors driving
contamination in Ogun State, Nigeria. A total of 500 eggs (5 eggs pooled into one sample) were
collected and culturally examined for the presence of Salmonella serovars. Isolates were further characterized
biochemically using Microbact 20E (Oxoid) and Antimicrobial susceptibility determined by
the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. A total of 14 Salmonella isolates spread across 10 serovars
were recovered from the 100 pooled egg samples; 10 (10%) from the market and 4 (4%) farms, 13(13%)
eggshell, and 1(1%) egg content. All tested serovars were susceptible to ampicillin, chloramphenicol,
florfenicol, and kanamycin. Resistance was mostly observed in sulfamethoxazole 8 (80%), followed
by ciprofloxacin 5 (50%) and tetracycline 3 (30%). Sales of eggs in the market appear to be a strong
factor encouraging contamination in addition to poor biosecurity and unhygienic handling of eggs
on the farm.
