Prevalence of Salmonella in poultry slaughterhouses located in Tripoli, Libya

Background: Salmonella is a leading cause of severe economic losses in poultry and foodborne illness in humans worldwide. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and multidrug resistance of Salmonella Enteritidis in several chicken abattoirs in Tripoli, Libya. The study includes the South, East, and West regions of Tripoli. Methods: Each region was assigned five slaughterhouses. Each chicken slaughterhouse was visited three times to collect samples. Five samples were taken at random from the neck skin, crop, and spleen. The total number of samples collected from all regions was 675. Bacterial isolation and identification, as well as antibiotic sensitivity testing, were performed on these samples. Results: Salmonella spp. was found to be 15% prevalent, and Salmonella Enteritidis was found to be 7% prevalent. The south region of Tripoli had the highest Salmonella Enteritidis (9%), while the west region had the highest Salmonella spp (22%). Salmonella prevalence increased significantly (P [Open Vet J 2023; 13(5.000): 638-644