Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study of the Prevalence and MIC-Based Antimicrobial Resistance of Salmonella spp. in Poultry in Morocco.

Salmonella spp. are major foodborne pathogens transmitted through contaminated poultry products. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains complicates treatment and increases the risk of multidrug-resistant (MDR). In Morocco, data on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles in poultry-associated Salmonella remain limited. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and AMR patterns of Salmonella spp. isolated from poultry samples collected in Morocco in 2023. A total of 1339 poultry samples (ceca, turkey, and chicken meat) were collected using a representative stratified sampling approach from slaughterhouses, farms, and retail markets across the 10 regional directorates of Morocco. The isolation of Salmonella spp. was performed according to ISO 6579-1:2017, and identification was confirmed via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial susceptibility to 15 antibiotics was evaluated using Sensititre EUVSEC3 plates. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were interpreted according to epidemiological cutoff values established by the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. MDR was defined as resistance to at least one antimicrobial agent in three or more antibiotic classes. Salmonella spp. were detected in 155 out of the 1339 samples, with an overall prevalence of 11.6% and regional variation. The category-specific prevalence was 13.8% (48/348) for chicken meat, 12.3% (45/367) for turkey meat, and 10.0% (62/624) for cecal samples. Resistance to nalidixic acid (94.2%), ciprofloxacin (92.3%), tetracycline (63.9%), ampicillin (36.8%), trimethoprim (27.7%), chloramphenicol (16.1%), gentamicin (10.3%), cefotaxime (4.5%), amikacin (3.9%), and ceftazidime (0.6%) was detected, whereas resistance to meropenem was not detected. Overall, 69.7% of the isolates were classified as multidrug-resistant and were mainly resistant to quinolones, tetracyclines, and beta-lactams. These findings highlight the need for strengthened antimicrobial stewardship, improved surveillance, and stricter regulation of antibiotic use in poultry production to reduce public health risks.