Antimicrobial resistance of selected Salmonella isolates from food animals and food in Alberta

Salmonella isolates (n = 209) obtained from food animals and foods in Alberta during 1996 through 1999 were tested for sensitivity to 17 antimicrobials. Of the 3553 antimicrobial susceptibility tests on Salmonella isolates, 11.8% were positive for resistance. These isolates were commonly resistant to tetracycline (35.4%), streptomycin (32.5%), sulfamethoxazole (28.7%), ticarcillin (27.3%), and ampicillin (26.8%). Resistance to at least 1 antimicrobial was observed in 112 isolates (53.6%). Salmonella Typhimurium, S. Typhimurium var. Copenhagen, and S. Heidelberg were the most common serovars among isolates resistant to individual antimicrobials and multiple antimicrobials. The most common profile of multiple-antimicrobial resistance was that which included resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, and ticarcillin. The proportions of isolates that were resistant to antimicrobials were greater among bovine isolates of Salmonella than among poultry isolates, and this difference was greater among isolates from veterinary diagnostic sources than among those from monitoring sources.