Table_1_Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Salmonella in organic and non-organic chickens on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, USA.DOCX

IntroductionSalmonella infections have been intensely increasing and becoming a universal public health crisis. This study investigated the prevalence of Salmonella in organic and non-organic chickens and the antimicrobial resistance profiles and virulence genes (invA, pagC, and spvC) in recovered Salmonella isolates.MethodsWhole chicken carcasses [organic (n = 240) and non-organic (n = 240)] were obtained monthly for 1 year (n = 480) from a retail store on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Salmonella isolation and identification were conducted by following the whole carcass enrichment method recommended by USDA-FSIS. Confirmed Salmonella isolates (organic n = 76; non-organic n = 137) were serotyped and tested for antibiotic susceptibility and virulence genes using standard methods.ResultsForty-nine percent (237/480) of the carcasses were positive for Salmonella. Organic and non-organic positivity rates were 37.1 and 61.8%, respectively. A significantly higher Salmonella contamination was observed in non-organic chickens (p 0.05) between organic and non-organic chickens but a significantly higher spvC gene (p DiscussionThis study reveals a high prevalence of Salmonella in both organic and non-organic chickens, which exhibit resistance to vital antibiotics and carry virulence genes, thereby creating a potential risk of salmonellosis.