Antibiotic resistance and prevalence of Salmonella spp. In the vegetable wash water from the tomato market, Lafia, Nasarawa, Nigeria
Year 2025,
Volume: 11 Issue: 3, 240 - 246
Daniel Ashefo
,
Emmanuel Oboh
Abstract
The prevalence of Salmonella spp. in vegetables and their wash water presents a considerable public health threat, particularly in regions characterised by inadequate sanitation and hygiene practices. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance, and multidrug resistance (MDR) patterns of Salmonella spp. in vegetable wash water samples collected from the Tomato Market located on Shinge Road, Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Salmonella spp. were identified in 14 out of 30 samples, indicating a prevalence rate of 46.67%. Notably, high resistance rates were observed for Ampicillin (92.86%) and Amoxicillin-Clavulanic acid (64.29%). The highest sensitivity was recorded for Ciprofloxacin and Ceftazidime (100% each), as well as for Ceftriaxone (85.71%). Various multidrug resistance (MDR) patterns were observed, with resistance to multiple drug classes being prevalent. The elevated prevalence and MDR patterns in Salmonella spp. from vegetable wash water underscore critical public health issues. Enhancing sanitation practices and ensuring prudent antibiotic utilisation are essential measures needed to effectively tackle these challenges.
Ethical Statement
The authors declare that this study does not involve experiments with human or animal subjects, and therefore, ethics committee approval is not required.
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Tafesse, M., Feleke, A., & Ashenafi, D. (2020). Occurrence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella in irrigation water and fresh vegetables in Ethiopia. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, 1320. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.01320
- Tian, Y., Li, Y., Zhang, W., & Jiang, X. (2020). Emerging extended-spectrum β-lactamaseproducing Salmonella strains in food: A serious threat to public health. Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance, 22, 278-287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgar.2020.02.017
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Year 2025,
Volume: 11 Issue: 3, 240 - 246
Daniel Ashefo
,
Emmanuel Oboh
References
- Abebe, N., Amsalu, A., Fikru, R. (2022). Multi-drug resistant Salmonella spp. from environmental samples in Ethiopia. Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences, 32(1), 45-52.
Allende, A., Selma, M.V., López-Gálvez, F., Villaescusa, R., Gil, M.I. (2017). Impact of wash water quality on sensory and microbial quality, including Escherichia coli cross-contamination, of fresh-cut escarole. Journal of Food Protection, 71(12), 2514-2518. https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X-71.12.2514
- APHA (American Public Health Association) (2017). Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (23rd ed.). Washington, DC: American Public Health Association. ISBN: 978-0875532875
- Ashefo D.P., & Habibu T. (2024). Incidence and antibiotic resistance profile of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from urine of patients attending primary health care centers in Lafia Metropolis and its environs, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Journal of Health Systems Research, 3(3).
- Atlas, R.M. (2013). Handbook of Microbiological Media (4th ed.). CRC Press. ISBN: 978 1439804063
- Bennett, S.D., Littrell, K.W., Hill, T.A., Mahovic, M., Behravesh, C.B. (2015). Multistate foodborne disease outbreaks associated with raw tomatoes, United States, 1990– 2010: A recurring public health problem. Epidemiology and Infection, 143(7), 1352-1359. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268814002167
- Burjaq, S.Z., & Abu-Romman, S.M. (2020). Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Salmonella spp. From Irrigation Water in Two Major Sources in Jordan. Current microbiology, 77(11), 3760–3766. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-020-02178-x
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2021). Salmonella outbreaks linked to produce. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks.html (accessed 20/02/2025)
- Choudhury, D., Dutta, C., Chatterjee, S. (2019). Microbial contamination of raw vegetables and fruits in Kolkata, India: A study on prevalence and associated risk factors. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 295, 21-28.
- Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute [CLSI] (2017). Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing; Approved Guideline (26th ed.). Wayne, PA: CLSI.
- Eze, E.A., Ibekwe, A.C., Orji, M.U. (2019). Antibiotic susceptibility and resistance patterns of Salmonella isolates from food and clinical samples in Nigeria. African Journal of Microbiology Research, 13(5), 78-87.
- Fletcher, S. (2015). Understanding the contribution of environmental factors in the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 20(4), 243-252. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-015-0468-0
- Government of British Columbia (2012). Food safety: Good agricultural practices (GAPs) - Vegetable production guide. Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/agriservice-bc/production-guides/vegetables (accessed 20/02/2025)
- Hendriksen, R.S., Munk, P., Njage, P., van Bunnik, B., McNally, L., Lukjancenko, O., ... and Aarestrup, F.M. (2019). Global monitoring of antimicrobial resistance based on metagenomics analyses of urban sewage. Nature Communications, 10(1), 1124. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-08853-3
- Heredia, N., & García, S. (2018). Animals as sources of food-borne pathogens: A review. Animal Nutrition, 4(3), 250-255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2018.04.006
Hosseini, S.M., Khoshbakht, R., Kaboosi, H., Peyravii Ghadikolaii, F. (2024). Antibiotic resistance patterns, characteristics of virulence and resistance genes and genotypic analysis of Salmonella serotypes recovered from different sources. Veterinary Research Forum: An International Quarterly Journal, 15(9), 499–508.
Iroha, I.R., Eze, E.I., Ugwu, S.O. (2020). Antimicrobial resistance patterns of Salmonella isolates from food samples in Nigeria. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 315, 108115.
- Jongman, M., Chidamba, L., Korsten, L. (2017). Bacterial biomes and potential human pathogens in irrigation water and leafy greens from different production systems described using pyrosequencing. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 123(4), 1043-1053. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.13558
Luna-Guevara, J.J., Arenas-Hernandez, M.M.P., Martínez de la Peña, C., Silva, J.L., LunaGuevara, M.L. (2019). The role of pathogenic E. coli in fresh vegetables: Behavior, contamination factors, and preventive measures. International journal of microbiology, 2019, 2894328. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/2894328
- Magiorakos, A.P., Srinivasan, A., Carey, R.B., Carmeli, Y., Falagas, M.E., Giske, C.G., et al. (2012). Multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant and pandrug-resistant bacteria: An international expert proposal for interim standard definitions for acquired resistance. Clinical Mikrobiology and Infection, 18(3), 268-281. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-0691.2011.03570.x
Nkang, A., Nkang, Y., Koffi, N. (2018). Prevalence of Salmonella spp. in vegetable wash water from markets in Ghana. Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering, 16(1), 55-62.
- Nwinyi, C., & Nduchukwuka, D., (2016). Antibiogram of bacteria species isolated from vegetables in Ado-Odo Ota, Nigeria. Journal Biological Sciences., 16, 188-196. https://doi.org/10.3923/jbs.2016.188.196
- Ochei, U.K., Akpama, I.N., Edema, M.O. (2017). Multi-drug resistance in Salmonella isolates from food sources in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice, 20(4), 451-459.
- Okonko, I.O., Abiodun, P.O., Ogunjobi, A.A. (2019). Detection and characterization of Salmonella spp. in street market wash water in Nigeria. African Journal of Microbiology Research, 13(7), 223-230.
- Olovo, C.V., Reward, E.E., Obi, S.N.and Ike, A.C. (2019). Isolation, Identification and Antibiogram of Salmonella from Cloacal Swabs of Free-Range Poultry in Nsukka, Nigeria. Journal of Advances in Microbiology, 17(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.9734/jamb/2019/v17i130133
Oranusi, S., Braimoh, R.A., Wogu, M.D. (2018). Prevalence of Salmonella in fresh vegetables and irrigation water used for farming in Nigeria. Food Control, 89, 17-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2018.02.023
- Popa, G.L., & Papa, M.I. (2021). Salmonella spp. infection - a continuous threat worldwide. Germs, 11(1), 88-96. https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2021.1244
- Quansah, J.K., & Chen, J. (2021). Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Salmonella enterica Isolated from Exotic and Indigenous Leafy Green Vegetables in Accra, Ghana. Journal of Food Protection, 84(6), 1040–1046. https://doi.org/10.4315/JFP-20-442
Tafesse, M., Feleke, A., & Ashenafi, D. (2020). Occurrence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella in irrigation water and fresh vegetables in Ethiopia. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, 1320. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.01320
- Tian, Y., Li, Y., Zhang, W., & Jiang, X. (2020). Emerging extended-spectrum β-lactamaseproducing Salmonella strains in food: A serious threat to public health. Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance, 22, 278-287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgar.2020.02.017
- Verawaty, M., Apriani, N., Tarigan, LR., Aprian, E.T., Laurenta, W.C., Muharni (2020). Antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from aquatic ecosystems in Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodiversitas, 21(1), 86-97.
- Vital, P.G., Gutierrez, R.A., Pasay, C.J. (2018). Detection of multidrug-resistant Salmonella in fresh vegetables and irrigation water in the Philippines. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 276, 41-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2018.03.007