PAKISTAN VETERINARY JOURNAL

Pak Vet J, xxxx, xx(x) xxx-xxx

Occurrence and Antimicrobial Resistance in Salmonella enterica from Sport Animals and Livestock in Southern Thailand

Ruethai Narinthorn¹, Phirabhat Saengsawang^1,2, Ratchadaporn Boripun^1,2, Tuempong, Wongtawan^{1, 2}, Phairot Phongkidakarn^1,2, Veeranoot Nissapatorn³, Maria de Lourdes Pereira⁴, Alok K. Paul⁵ and Watcharapong Mitsuwan^{1, 2, 6}*

¹Akkhraratchakumari Veterinary College, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand; ²One Health Research Center, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand; ³Futuristic Science Research Center, School of Science, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand; ⁴CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials and Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal; ⁵School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia.; ⁶Center of Excellence in Innovation of Essential Oil and Bioactive Compounds, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand

*Corresponding author: watcharapong.mi@wu.ac.th

Abstract

Sport animals and livestock farms are sources of pathogens, including Salmonella spp. that were resistant to antimicrobial agents and carries antibiotic resistance genes. This study aimed to isolate Salmonella spp. from sports animals and livestock farms in Southern Thailand, and to characterize the antimicrobial resistance profile of the isolates. A total of 241 samples were collected from sport animals (fighting cocks, fighting bulls, and riding horses) and swine breeding farms. The suspected Salmonella colonies were identified using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/ Ionization Time-Of-Flight (MALDI-TOF) MS. Antimicrobial susceptibility against the isolates and detection of the antibiotic resistance genes were investigated. It was found that 20.3% (49/241) of the animal specimens were positive for Salmonella spp. The swine samples showed the highest prevalence of Salmonella spp., with a prevalence of 31.5% and 62.6% in feces and soil of the farms, respectively. A total of 98 Salmonella spp. isolates were isolated and tested for their antimicrobial susceptibility. Tetracycline resistance was the most common (48.1%), followed by ampicillin (40.4%). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tetracycline ranged from ≤1 to ≥16 µg/mL across all Salmonella isolates. Highly resistant strains exhibited MIC₉₀ values of ≥16 µg/mL, indicating that 90% of the isolates were inhibited at this concentration. Among the tetracycline resistance genes, tetA and tetG genes were the most prevalent, detected in 85.0% of the samples, followed by tetB (47.5%). For species identification, 7 isolates that showed multi-drug resistance (MDR) were closely similar to S. enterica as detected by invA gene sequencing. These findings contribute to understanding and controlling the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in Salmonella spp. from animals.

To Cite This Article: Narinthorn R, Saengsawang P, Boripun R, Wongtawan T, Phongkidakarn P, Nissapatorn V, Pereira MDL, Paul AK and Mitsuwan W, 2025. Occurrence and antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella enterica from sport animals and livestock in Southern Thailand. Pak Vet J. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2025.165

Abstract

ISSN 0253-8318 (Print)ISSN 2074-7764 (Online)

ISSN 0253-8318 (Print)
ISSN 2074-7764 (Online)