Salmonella species in foods of animal origin, their virulence potential and antibiotic susceptibility in India: implications for public health.

In this study, a total of 2818 food samples of animal origin collected from 18 states of India using a stratified random sampling method were processed for isolation of Salmonella spp. PCR serotyping was performed to identify non-typhoidal serovars. All confirmed Salmonella isolates were screened for antibacterial susceptibility and for their virulence potential using the Galleria mellonella larvae. Microbiological screening identified 58 Salmonella spp. isolates (2.06%). Variation in isolation rate was not evident in various types of samples that were screened, and the place of isolation. On PCR serotyping, 39.65% were identified as S. Typhimurium, 32.76% as S. Enteritidis, and the remaining 27.59% were other Salmonella serovars. Notably, 44.83% of the Salmonella isolates exhibited MDR pattern with a MAR index of > 0.2. All the isolates were virulent to G. mellonella larvae. Findings of the study warrants further investigations and appropriate preventive cum control measures to ensure food safety.