Salmonella in food products – a vector for distribution of antibiotic resistance

Abstract

Non-typhoidal Salmonella spp. are common food-associated pathogens, and Salmonella infections are one of the most common causes of death associated with food-associated illness, especially in developing countries. As in many other developing countries, raw food hygiene and antimicrobial resistance epidemiology are in their infancy in Vietnam. In addition, the lack of stringent controls on antimicrobial usage in human health and particularly in animal production systems increases the risk of food-borne pathogens harbouring and disseminating antibiotic resistance genes. For countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and other Asian countries, Salmonella vaccination is a more cost-effective way of controlling Salmonella in food production animals than the use of antibiotic therapy.