30/06/2026
FOOD SAFETY ALERT ๐ฆ
Nearly half of Salmonella enterica isolates from chicken meat collected in Metro Manila wet markets were found to be resistant to three or more antibiotic classes.
A study featured by the UP Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs examined non-typhoidal Salmonella from chicken meat using whole-genome sequencing and antimicrobial resistance testing.
The chicken samples were collected from public wet markets in San Juan, Quezon City, Malabon, and Muntinlupa. From the samples, researchers recovered 95 Salmonella enterica isolates belonging to 15 distinct non-typhoidal Salmonella strains.
The most common strain identified was Salmonella Infantis.
Results showed that 73.68% of the isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic class, while 45.26% were multidrug-resistant, meaning they were resistant to three or more antibiotic classes.
This matters because Salmonella is one of the most common foodborne pathogens worldwide. Non-typhoidal Salmonella can cause food poisoning and, in some cases, severe infections.
The study also identified antimicrobial resistance genes, including some that may be transferred between bacteria. This raises concern because resistant bacteria can make infections harder to treat and may spread through the farm-to-fork chain โ from farms and slaughterhouses to markets and consumers.
But this does not mean people should panic or stop eating chicken.
It means food safety and responsible antibiotic use matter even more.
Chicken meat should be handled properly, separated from ready-to-eat food, cooked thoroughly, and prepared using clean hands, utensils, and surfaces.
At the same time, the findings point to the need for stronger antimicrobial resistance surveillance, safer farm practices, and coordinated public health action in the Philippines.
This study is not just about chicken.
It is about how food safety, farming, antibiotics, human health, and environmental health are all connected.
