Salmonella
spp. have been extensively incriminated worldwide as common causes of bacterial gastroenteritis
in humans, with food-animals serving as important reservoirs. The study was aimed at investigating cattle
and pigs slaughtered in Buea as reservoirs of
Salmonella Typhimurium and the susceptibility of isolates to
antibiotics. In total, 230 specimens (comprising 50 each from the rectum, ileum, and gall bladder of cattle;
and 10 each from same anatomical sites of pigs and 50 from abattoir drains) were analyzed for
Salmonella
using the standard microbiological, biochemical and serological techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility of the
isolates was determined by the Kirby-Bauer disc-diffusion test. The isolates were characterized into biotypes
using the API 20E kit, and results were analyzed using the chi-square test. Seventy-five (32.6%) of the 230
specimens were positive for S. Typhimurium, with pigs and abattoir drains presenting the highest level of
isolation (40%). Biochemical typing grouped the isolates into five biotypes. Biotype I was the most prevalent
(30.6%) while biotype IV was the least prevalent (9.3%) and was absent in samples from pigs. Antibiotic
susceptibility studies revealed 14 antibiotypes based on antibiotics used in the study. The predominant
antibiotype AMX
R DOX
RCEF
R was recorded in 13 (17.3%) of the isolates. Multidrug resistance (to four or
more antibiotics) was recorded in 50.7% (38/75) of the isolates. The most active drugs were ciprofloxacin
(98.6%), ofloxacin (93.3%), amikacin (90.6%), and gentamicin (84%). All the isolates (100%) were resistant
to tetracycline and ampicillin. Cattle and pigs were found to be reservoirs of S. Typhimurium in the environment
of Buea, Cameroon, implying that foods from these sources, if not properly handled, could serve
as vehicles for its transmission to humans.
