Prevalence and Antibiotic Resistance of Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Broiler Chicken Meat in Modern and Traditional Slaughterhouses of Morocco

Handling and consuming contaminated meat can lead to food poisoning and the acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Salmonella spp. are the most isolated bacteria from broiler chicken meat, leading to serious foodborne diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate the presence and antibiogram profiles of Salmonella spp. and S. aureus strains in poultry meat purchased from modern and traditional poultry slaughterhouses in Morocco. Foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella spp. and S. aureus, were isolated from poultry meat using standard methods and then confirmed by biochemical tests (coagulase, catalase, oxidase, motility and API 20E for further biochemical identification) and an immunological test (serotyping test). The antibiogram of the isolates was determined using the agar diffusion method and interpreted according to the criteria of performance standards for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, Wayne, Pennsylvania, USA. A total of 540 poultry meat samples were collected and treated (360 poultry meat samples from traditional slaughterhouses and 180 poultry meat samples from modern slaughterhouses), out of which 15.92% were S. aureus positive and 7.40% were Salmonella spp. positive. In traditional poultry slaughterhouses, the prevalence rates of Salmonella spp. and S. aureus were 11.11% and 20.55%, respectively. In contrast, Salmonella spp. was not detected in poultry samples of modern poultry slaughterhouses, and the prevalence of S. aureus was 6.66%. All S. aureus and 97% of Salmonella spp. isolates were found resistant to at least one antibiotic, while 86% of S. aureus and 30% of Salmonella spp. showed resistance to more than three antibiotics. The obtained results of the present study confirmed that broiler chicken meat purchased from traditional poultry slaughterhouses was mainly contaminated by Salmonella spp. and S. aureus, indicating a major public health risk in Morocco. Therefore, considerable efforts should be made to apply appropriate hygiene practices.