Distribution of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Salmonella spp. in Africa: A Systematic Review

Esserghini, Hajar and Ansong, Dhaud Odei and Ziyate, Nadia and Darkaoui, Sami and Al Idrissi, Najib and Benmoussa, Imane and Ghazal, Hassan and Benmoussa, Adnane and Bakkali, Fadil and Hamdi, Salsabil (2026) Distribution of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Salmonella spp. in Africa: A Systematic Review. World's Veterinary Journal. 287 - 301. ISSN 23224568

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Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance associated with Salmonella spp. represents a major global public health concern. In Africa, this challenge is particularly critical, as Salmonella spp. are a leading cause of foodborne diseases and act as significant reservoirs for the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This systematic review synthesizes data from studies published between 2013 and 2023 regarding the continental distribution of ARGs in Salmonella spp. across Africa. Publications were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria related to publication period, geographic location, and relevance to antibiotic resistance genes in Salmonella spp. Data were analyzed to evaluate the distribution of resistance genes across sample types (human, animal, food, and environmental sources), detection methods, geographic regions, and temporal trends. North Africa contributed the majority of studies (27; 43.5), followed by West Africa (19; 30.6), Southern Africa (9; 14.5), East Africa (6; 9.7), and Central Africa (3; 4.8). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was the predominant method for detecting resistance genes, employed in 48 studies (77.4). In contrast, quantitative PCR (qPCR) and whole-genome sequencing were used in 2 (3.2) and 12 (19.4) studies, respectively. Based on the frequency of occurrence across the included publications, the most frequently reported resistance genes were blaTEM (11.37), tetA (7.78), blaCTX-M (7.58), sul1 (5.83), sul2 (4.90), dfrA (4.37), and qnrB (3.79). Overall, the findings highlight a broad diversity and widespread distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in Salmonella spp. across Africa. The frequent association of these genes with mobile genetic elements underscores the potential for horizontal gene transfer and the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. These results demonstrated an urgent need for strengthened surveillance systems and the implementation of integrated One Health strategies linking human, animal, and environmental health sectors to mitigate antimicrobial resistance in African countries. © The Author(s) 2026. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Africa; Antibiotic resistance gene; One Health; Public health; Salmonella spp
Subjects:	S Agriculture > SF Animal culture
Divisions:	World's Veterinary Journal (WVJ)
Page Range:	287 - 301
Journal or Publication Title:	World's Veterinary Journal
Journal Index:	Scopus
Volume:	16
Number:	1
Publisher:	Scienceline Publication
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.54203/scil.2026.wvj28
ISSN:	23224568
Depositing User:	Dr. Alireza Sadeghi
URI:	https://eprints.science-line.com/id/eprint/1683

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