Prevalence, Antibiotic Resistance and Molecular Profiling of E. coli and Salmonella Spp. in Poultry Meat and its Products from Minia, Egypt

T HIS study examines the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance, and molecular characterization of E. coli and Salmonella spp. in poultry meat and products in Minia, Egypt. E. coli was detected in 73% of samples, with the highest rates in drumstick chicken (100%), chicken fillet (90%), and deboned drumstick (83.33%), while absent in chicken luncheon. Salmonella prevalence was 35%, highest in chicken fillet (70%) and deboned drumstick (66.67%), with no isolates in chicken luncheon. Regional variations were noted, with E. coli highest in raw meat from El Idwa (88.24%) and Maghagha (84.62%), whereas processed products showed reduced contamination. Salmonella was most prevalent in Maghagha (61.54%) and El Idwa (55.88%), lowest in Abu Qurqas (16.13%). Antimicrobial testing revealed high resistance in E. coli to metronidazole (100%), trimethoprimsulfonamide (50%), and amoxicillin (35%), with susceptibility to ceftriaxone (80%) and enrofloxacin (100%). Salmonella showed resistance to metronidazole (85%), trimethoprim-sulfonamide (70-85%), and amoxicillin (50%), while enrofloxacin (100%) and ciprofloxacin (75-80%) remained effective. Molecular analysis found fimH and eaeA in all E. coli isolates, with Stx2 (40%) and BlaCTX-M (40%) detected at lower rates. Salmonella universally harbored invA, hilA, and sopB, while stn (80%) and BlaCTX-M (80%) were also prevalent. These results highlight significant poultry contamination, underscoring the need for stringent microbiological surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship.