Abstract:
Introduction: Salmonella enterica having more than 2600 serovars causes
moderate to severe gastrointestinal infections in humans and animals. Salmonella
enterica serovar Gallinarum biovars Gallinarum and Pullorum (S. Gallinarum and
S. Pullorum) are poultry specific bacterial pathogens causing fowl typhoid and
pullorum disease respectively while S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis cause
chicken infections of zoonotic importance. These infections are of considerable
economic importance so early and precise diagnosis of the particular Salmonella
is mandatory for effective treatment. Currently conventional diagnostic method
practiced is based on postmortem guess which lack specificity and sensitivity.
Once diagnosed, Salmonella infections are treated by excessive use to antibiotics
in drinking water. The choice of antibiotics is usually based on previous treatment
experience or just easy availability, while the sensitivity of the prevailing
Salmonella serovars against particular antibiotic has not been investigated, thus
not considered. This irrational use of antibiotics often results in treatment failure,
so the veterinary doctors have no choice except to try other antibiotic. Such hit and
trial approach causes huge economic loss to the poultry farmers as the cost of
antibiotics used for larger controlled poultry sheds is very high.
Objective: To detect Salmonella at local poultry farms by rapid and reliable
molecular diagnostic method and to provide the base line data about
sensitivity/resistance of the prevailing Salmonella serovars against commonly
used antibiotics.
Methodology: Suspected samples from local poultry farms were collected. These
samples are being tested for Salmonella serovars by biochemical and molecular
assays. The antimicrobial sensitivity/resistance will be checked phenotypically by
disc diffusion assay followed by molecular detection of drug resistance genes.
Results: Analysis of samples is ongoing.
Discussion: This information will be helpful for doctors to select the effective
antibiotic against which the resistance has not yet developed in local isolates of
Salmonella.
