Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Salmonella and Shigella among food handlers working in food establishment at Hawassa city, Southern Ethiopia

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Salmonella and Shigella, antibiotic susceptibility profile and associated factors among food handlers working in food establishment from June to December 2018 at Hawassa city, Southern Ethiopia. RESULTS: Out of the 236 food handlers screened for stool culture, 5 (2.12%) were positive for Salmonella species and all of them were negative for Shigella species. All Salmonella species isolated were susceptible to ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone but among the five isolated Salmonella species, 4 (80%), 3 (60%), 2 (40%), 2 (40%), and 2 (40%) were resistant to tetracycline, ampicillin, amoxicillin–clavulanic acid, cotrimoxazole, and chloramphenicol respectively. Only food handlers hand washing the habit after toilet had a significant association with the prevalence of Salmonella species (P = 0.03).