Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Salmonella and Escherichia coli, and Hygiene Practices in Retail Poultry Meat Shops of Bharatpur, Nepal.

Foodborne pathogens and the rapid spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the poultry supply chain represent a critical public health threat in Nepal. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, AMR profiles, and hygiene-related risk factors for Escherichia coli and Salmonella species in retail broiler chicken liver. A cross-sectional study was conducted across 140 retail meat shops in Bharatpur Metropolitan City. Broiler chicken liver samples were analyzed to isolate and identify both pathogens using standard culture and phenotypic biochemical methods. Concurrently, a structured observational survey was conducted to evaluate retail shop hygiene practices. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using the modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method against 11 antibiotics across seven classes. Prevalence was 24.3% for E. coli and 16.4% for citrate-positive Salmonella. Both pathogens showed high resistance to Ampicillin (>79%). The multidrug resistance (MDR) burden was alarming: 94.1% of E. coli and 73.9% of Salmonella isolates were identified as MDR. Statistically, difficult-to-clean chopping boards were linked to E. coli contamination (p = 0.0076), while the absence of handwashing basins correlated with Salmonella (p = 0.0324). Retail meat shops may facilitate the persistence and dissemination of multidrug-resistant foodborne pathogens. Enforcing basic municipal hygiene standards, specifically mandating washable cutting boards and handwashing sinks, could mitigate the risk of bacterial cross-contamination in retail environments.