A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY OF SOKOINE UNIVERSITY OF
AGRICULTURE. MOROGORO, TANZANIA. 2017
Eggs provide protein to human. However, consumption of contaminated eggs with
pathogenic Salmonellae (Salmonella enterica) imposes negative impacts to human health
causing salmonellosis. The present study aimed at isolation, identification and antibiogram
testing of Salmonella enterica from chicken eggs in Morogoro Municipality. A total of
570 raw, boiled, cracked, clean, and faecal soaked chicken eggs (120 local and 450 exotic)
were collected from selected areas and examined from November to May 2016. Analysis
was done by pooling samples using bacteriological standard methods where eleven (11)
pathogenic Salmonellae (Salmonella. enterica) were confirmed to genus level by PCR
using Spec primers pair for Salmonella invA gene amplified 284 bp of DNA fragment.
Out of eleven (11) recovered Salmonellae 6 (20.0%) from egg contents and 5 (16.7%)
from eggshell surfaces. The overall prevalence of isolated Salmonella enterica in eggs was
36.7% (95% CI: 0.199 – 0.561). It was worth noting that, local eggs were highly
contaminated (20.0%) than exotic eggs (16.7%) whereas raw eggs were highly
contaminated (26.7%) than boiled eggs (10%). Interestingly clean eggs were highly
contaminated (20.0%) than faecal socked (13.3%). Statistical analysis between raw and
boiled eggs showed significant differences. Moreover, eggs from Mlimani ward were
highly contaminated 4 (13.33%) compared with eggs from other wards. Antibiogram test
results showed sensitivity to: Ciprofloxacin, Chloramphenicol, Gentamicin, Tetracycline,
Sulfamethaxole-Trimethoprim, Imepenem, Cefotaxime, Ceftriaxone and Caftazidime, and
resistant only to Kanamycin. This study reports for the first time presence of pathogenic
Salmonellae (Salmonella enterica) in chicken eggs and their antibiogram patterns,
indicating that eggs are unwholesome for human consumption and population in
Municipality is at risk for salmonellosis. Therefore, it is recommended that control measures from eggs production to table chain should be implemented by health sectors to
prevent human/animal salmonellosis.