PREVALENCE, ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE PATTERN OF SALMONELLA IN CHICKEN BROODING FARMS IN AND AROUND ARBA MINCH TOWN, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Salmonellosis is one of the disease constraints to the poultry sector in Ethiopia. Poultry production is common in the study areas among which are the brooding farms. Brooding farms raise day old chickens to distribute to the poultry producers in the area. These brooding farms are challenged by diseases like salmonellosis. A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2021 to August 2021 to estimate the prevalence, identify associated risk factors and establish antimicrobial resistance pattern of salmonella in chicken brooding farms in and around Arba Minch town, Southern Ethiopia. A total of 390 samples collected from chicks that were selected by stratified random sampling method from the brooding farms were bacteriologically tested for salmonella presence. Cloacal swab and fresh feces were the type of samples tested. All of the isolates obtained were tested for eight different antimicrobials. The association between the risk variables and the occurrence of salmonellosis was assessed using logistic regression. The degree of association between risk factors and the prevalence of Salmonella was interpreted using odds ratio. Out of the total sample collected and tested 14(4.71%) were positive from cloacal swab and 7 (7.52%) from fresh feces with a total of 21 (5.38%) positive for Salmonella. Its distribution was associated with age in days (p=0.038 OR=4.833), source of feed (p=0.014 OR=5.12), contact with other farms (p=0.016 OR=4.13), and management (p=0.012 OR=0.0231). Of the 21 isolates 19 isolates (90.47%) were resistant to one or more of the tested antimicrobials. Salmonella control and rational use of antimicrobials should be followed in brooding farms as well as the poultry sector in general.