Identification and Characterization of Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium in Table Eggs In Peshawar, Pakistan

Abstract
| In the present study, we investigated the prevalence of Salmonella in various parts of table eggs collected from various union councils of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. For this purpose, 200 egg samples were collected. The culturing of Salmonella from egg shell and their contents was carried out according to ISO guidelines for Salmonella isolation. A total of twenty-two (22) eggs were positive for Salmonella species. The antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed that Salmonella isolates were resistant to ampicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cefotaxime, and kanamycin while isolates were susceptible to chloramphenicol, gentamicin, kanamycin and streptomycin. These positive samples were further investigated and confirmed through PCR by targeting serovars specific genes i.e rfbJ, fliC, fljB for S. Typhimurium and ST11, SPV, SefA for S. Enteritidis . The prevalence of Salmonella was found to be 22 (11%), out of which 17 (77.27%) isolates were S. Enteritidis and 5 (22.73%) isolates were found to be S. Typhimurium as confirmed through PCR. The presence of infectious Salmonella in table eggs in Peshawar presents a serious public health threat and should be monitored on routine basis for the presence of Salmonella.