Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Salmonella and Shigella species among asymptomatic food handlers working in Haramaya University cafeterias, Eastern Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE: Salmonellosis and Shigellosis remain a major public health problem across the globe, particularly in developing countries like Ethiopia, where hand hygiene and food microbiology are still below the required standards. The growing problem of antimicrobial resistance species also continues to pose public health challenges. This study assessed the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Salmonella and Shigella species among asymptomatic food handlers. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 417 randomly selected asymptomatic food handlers. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The stool specimens collected were examined for Salmonella and Shigella species using standard bacteriological methods. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the basic features of the data.

RESULTS: The overall prevalence of Salmonella and Shigella species was 5.04%. Salmonella and Shigella species were 76.2% resistant to both co-trimoxazole and tetracycline, 71.4% to amoxicillin and 66.7% to chloramphenicol. Moreover, 85.7% of Salmonella and Shigella species were multidrug resistant. The findings highlighted the food handlers as potential sources of food borne infections, which demands the establishment of appropriate hygiene and sanitary control measures at the University cafeterias.