title: Prevalence, seasonal occurrence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella in poultry retail products in Greece.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect the prevalence, the seasonal occurrence and distribution of Salmonella serotypes in poultry products and to determine the resistance profile of Salmonella isolates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 96 skin-on chicken carcasses and 30 liver samples were analysed between May 2007 and May 2009 from twenty-two different commercial farm brands found in retail market countrywide. Salmonella was isolated from 38 (39·5%) of 96 chicken carcasses and from 10 (33·3%) of 30 liver samples. Higher isolation rate (60·4%) was observed in carcasses detected during summer (May to October), and lower isolation rate (18·7%) was observed in carcasses detected during winter (November to April); in liver samples, the positive rates were 53·4 and 13·2%, respectively. Twelve serotypes were detected with the serotypes Hadar, Enteritidis and Blockley being the most prevalent at 29·2, 22·9 and 12·5%, respectively. Nine of 11 Salm. Enteritidis isolates occurred during summer. Of 48 isolates, 38 (79%) were resistant to one or more of the antimicrobial agents used. The highest resistance rates were found to the following antimicrobials: streptomycin (64·5%), tetracycline (56·2%), nalidixic acid (39·5%), ampicillin and rifampicin (33·3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relatively high Salmonella spp. contamination rates of raw chicken meat and liver have been detected. Salm. Enteritidis isolates peaked in summer, increasing the risk to human health. Antibiotic resistance of Salmonella still remains a threat as resistance plasmids may be extensively shared between animal and humans.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study enabled us to improve the data on the seasonal occurrence of Salmonella and to determine the antimicrobial pattern profile and trends in Salmonella strains isolated from poultry retail products in Greece.
authors.affiliation: National Agricultural Research Foundation-N.AG.RE.F., Veterinary Research Institute of Thessaloniki, Thermi, Thessaloniki, Greece. zdragas@vri.gr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zdragas
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mazaraki
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vafeas
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Giantzi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ekateriniadou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005506:Food Contamination; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006115:Greece; D011202:Poultry Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012475:Salmonella / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012621:Seasons; D012703:Serotyping
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents