Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Salmonella spp. isolated from vegetables in farms and markets within Zaria metropolis, Kaduna state, Nigeria

Salmonella is a significant zoonotic pathogen that causes diseases in humans and animals, often transmitted through contaminated foods, including vegetables. This study investigated the occurrence and antimicrobial resistance profile of Salmonella in vegetables obtained from farms and markets in Zaria metropolis. A total of 120 vegetable samples was processed following Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standards. An overall Salmonella prevalence of 15.8 % was observed from this study. Lettuce was the most contaminated vegetable (36.0 %), followed by onions (16.7 %), cabbage (12.0 %), cucumber (9.1 %), and carrots (4.2 %). Leafy vegetables had the highest contamination rate (23.1 %), compared to root (12.2 %) and fruit vegetables (5.3 %). Market samples showed a higher prevalence (18.3 %) than farm samples (13.3 %). Antimicrobial-resistance patterns of the positive isolates of Salmonella showed the highest percentage of resistance to erythromycin (100 %). Only 5.3 % of the positive isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, while none of the Salmonella isolates showed resistance to imipenem. Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed that all isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic, with 94.7 % exhibiting multidrug resistance. This study highlights the contamination of vegetables with Salmonella and its antimicrobial resistance patterns. It underscores the need for improved agricultural and retail practices to mitigate public health risks.