High carriage and possible hidden spread of multidrug-resistant Salmonella among asymptomatic workers in Yulin, China

Xin Lu, Ming Luo, Mengyu Wang, Zhemin Zhou, Jialiang Xu, Zhenpeng Li, Yao Peng, Yuan Zhang, Fangyu Ding, Dong Jiang, Changyu Zhou, Liya Yang, Wenxuan Zhao, Tian Ma, Bo Pang, Meiying Yan, Yongning Wu, Yannong Wu () and Biao Kan ()
Additional contact information
Xin Lu: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Ming Luo: Yulin Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Mengyu Wang: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Zhemin Zhou: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Jialiang Xu: Beijing Technology and Business University
Zhenpeng Li: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Yao Peng: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Yuan Zhang: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Fangyu Ding: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Dong Jiang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Changyu Zhou: Yulin Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Liya Yang: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Wenxuan Zhao: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Tian Ma: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Bo Pang: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Meiying Yan: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Yongning Wu: China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment
Yannong Wu: Yulin Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Biao Kan: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Food workers have frequent contact with unprocessed foods, but their carriage of Salmonella and potential influence on public health have not been comprehensively assessed. We investigated Salmonella carriage among food workers compared with non-food workers based on occupational health screening of 260,315 asymptomatic workers over an 8-year surveillance period in Yulin, China. We confirmed that healthy carriers serve as natural reservoirs for Salmonella, with higher carriage rates in food workers than non-food workers. The isolates from food workers also exhibited greater serovar diversity and likely higher levels of antimicrobial resistance than those from non-food workers. Factors such as meteorological, social, and hygiene factors potentially influenced the carriage rate. Genomic analysis revealed a consistent increase in antimicrobial resistance genes among Salmonella isolates over the study period, with the majority of these antimicrobial resistance genes located on plasmids. Additionally, we identified numerous closely related bacterial clusters, which might reflect clusters of hidden local foodborne infections. This study underscores the elevated risk posed by food workers in the persistence and dissemination of Salmonella as vectors/fomites. Enhanced monitoring and targeted interventions in this group may reduce the dissemination of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54405-9

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