Drug resistances in salmonella isolates from animal foods, italy 1998-2000.

We investigated the distribution of serotypes and patterns of drug resistance of 206 strains of salmonella isolated in southern Italy in the years 1998-2000 from raw food of animal origin, faeces of food animals and animal feed. To improve knowledge of mobile genetic elements carrying the resistance genes, some molecular features were also investigated within isolates resistant to three or more antibiotics. A high proportion of isolates, 52.2% and 37.7%, respectively, belonging to both Typhimurium and other serotypes of animal origin, proved to be multidrug resistant. The DT104 complex specific multidrug pattern of resistance was quite infrequent among isolates other than Typhimurium, but resistances to nalidixic acid and kanamycin were more frequent within these last ones (36.9% vs. 11.4% and 56.5% vs. 2.2%, respectively). Class I integrons were detected in isolates of Typhimurium and seven different serotypes. The relevance of food animal environment as a drug resistance reservoir and animal food as a potential resistance gene vehicle between the farm and human ecological niches is confirmed by our findings.