Characterization of quinolone resistance in Salmonella enterica serovar Indiana from chickens in China.

The aim of this study was to characterize the quinolone resistance of Salmonella enterica serovar Indiana isolated from chickens in China. A total of 293 Salmonella strains were isolated from chicken farms and slaughterhouses in Shandong province of China, and 130 (44.4%) were characterized as Salmonella enterica Indiana (chicken farms, n=52 strains; slaughter houses, n=78 strains). All isolate serotypes were tested with the Kauffmann-White classification system and examined for susceptibility to the quinolones: nalidixic acid, enrofloxacin, norfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin. The resistance of the Salmonella Indiana strains to nalidixic acid, enrofloxacin, norfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin were 100, 73.1, 71.2, and 82.7%, and 100, 59.0, 79.5, and 80.2%, respectively. Selected quinolone resistant strains were evaluated for mutations in genes (gyrA, gyrB, parC, and marA) by DNA sequencing. The gyrA mutation was found in all isolates, the parC mutation was only found in some isolates, and the gyrB and marA mutations were not observed. Quinolone resistance was evaluated in the representative isolates by screening for the quinolone resistance determinants, qnrA, qnrB, qnrS, qepA, and aac (6 ')-Ib-cr using PCR technology. The quinolone resistance determinants in Salmonella, qnrA, qnrB, qnrS, and qepA were negative by PCR, but aac(6 ')-Ib-cr had high detection rates of 90.4 and 96.2% in chicken farms and slaughterhouses, respectively. Salmonella Indiana containing the gyrA mutation was prevalent in farms and slaughterhouses and possessed a high frequency of the quinolone resistance determinant aac(6 ')-Ib-cr. These bacteria may have originated from the same source.