Prevalence, main serovars, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of
Non-typhoidal Salmonella in poultry samples from the Americas: A
systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
Poultry and poultry-derived products such as meat and eggs are among the
main sources of non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) transmission to
the human. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and used
random-effects meta-analyses to 1) estimate the prevalence of NTS in
poultry samples from birds, products and subproducts, and environmental
samples, 2) examine the diversity and frequency of their serovars, and
3) estimate the prevalence and profiles of antimicrobial resistance
(AMR) in NTS isolates reported in studies from the Americas. We included
157 studies from 15 countries comprising 261,408 poultry samples and
estimated an overall pooled prevalence of 17.9% (95% CI: 10.8–26.3)
in birds, 21.8% (17.7–26.1) in products and subproducts, and 29.5%
(24.2–35.1) in environmental samples. At the national level, the
prevalence of NTS was heterogenous across countries with the highest
values in Mexico, the USA, and Canada. In total, 131 serovars were
identified from 13,388 isolates, Heidelberg, Kentucky, Enteritidis, and
Typhimurium were the most prevalent in the overall top 10 ranking (range
6.5–20.8%). At the national level, Enteritidis and Typhimurium were
identified in most of the countries, though with national differences in
their ranks. The prevalence of AMR increased from 24.1% for 1
antibiotic, to 36.2% for 2-3 antibiotics, and 49.6% for ≥ 4
antibiotics. Kentucky, Heidelberg, Typhimurium, and Enteritidis were the
serovars with the highest prevalence of AMR and tetracycline,
ampicillin, streptomycin, ceftiofur, and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid
were the top five antibiotics to which NTS isolates were resistant. In
conclusion, NTS was distributed through the avian production chain with
high and heterogenous values of prevalence in poultry samples. Besides,
there were distinctive patterns of serovars distribution across
countries and an alarming prevalence of AMR among zoonotic serovars.