Prevalence and antibiotic resistance characteristics of Salmonella spp. isolated from food-producing animals and meat products in Korea

Salmonellosis is a significant public health concern and a major cause of bacterial foodborne poisoning in Korea. Approximately 95% of salmonellosis cases in humans are related to the intake of contaminated food products, which mostly originate from livestock such as poultry, pigs, and cattle. To successfully develop strategies to reduce the spread of Salmonella, it is important to investigate the prevalence of Salmonella spp. isolated from food animals and meat. In Korea, the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in cattle was 1.2 2.0%, whereas in pigs it was 1.5 21%. Of all livestock and meat products analyzed, the Salmonella isolation rate was the highest in chickens (18.8 30.3%) and their meat. Antibiotic resistance is an important social issue. The frequent use of antibiotics in the livestock industry has led to increased antibiotic resistance in Salmonella isolates that are extracted from livestock, which raises serious public health concerns. To prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance, it is essential to collect data related to antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strains isolated from food animals and meat. Antibiotic resistance tests revealed that Salmonella isolated from cattle, pigs, and poultry were highly resistant to tetracycline and streptomycin. Recent studies show that the overuse of antibiotics in food animals can also affect antibiotic resistance in humans. Therefore, it is important to establish an appropriate management strategy to successfully prevent misuse of antibiotics within the Korean livestock industry.