Mpagi , Ronald2026-07-202026-07-202023-11-30http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14270/881Food safety is a key factor that influences nutrition outcomes through its impact on the utilization dimension of food security. Karamoja sub-region is an area that has consistently experienced a high prevalence of diarrhoea-associated undernutrition among children under five years over the last decade. Salmonella is an important enteric pathogen that occur in foods and water in Karamoja sub-region. However, limited information exists on the serotypes and antimicrobial resistance characteristics of non-typhoidal variants of the pathogen in the area. The overall objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and antibiotic resistance characteristics of non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica serotypes that contaminate foods and water consumed by children under five years in Karamoja sub-region. Specifically, the study determined: (i) the prevalence and serotypes; (ii) phenotypic antibiotic resistance characteristics; (iii) genotypic antibiotic resistance characteristics; and (iv) the association between the genotypic and phenotypic antibiotic resistance characteristics of the organisms in question. Two hundred samples of food and water collected from Karamoja sub-region were analysed for Salmonella enterica using culture and PCR targeting invA gene. The confirmed Salmonella isolates were serotyped using multiplex PCR targeting genes conserved in each serotype. The confirmed isolates were further subjected to the disc diffusion test and PCR targeting the corresponding resistance genes to determine the phenotypic and genotypic resistance characteristics, respectively. Results showed the prevalence of non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica to be 45%. Four serotypes were identified with S. typhimurium (53%) being the most dominant followed by S. infantis (16%), S. enteritidis (9%) and S. dublin (4%). Phenotypically, all the confirmed isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic recommended for treatment of salmonellosis whereas 37.9% were multidrug resistant. Resistance frequency was highest for azithromycin (91.1%) followed by ciprofloxacin (31.1%), cefixime (20%), xi cefotaxime (20%), ceftazidime (15.6%), ceftriaxone (6.7%), cotrimoxazole (6.7%), chloramphenicol (6.7%) and amoxicillin clavulanic acid (2.2%) in decreasing order of magnitude. The most prevalent resistance genes were mefA (95.3%), gyrA (94.9%), parC (92.3%), blaPSE (81.3%), sul1 (66.6%) and Sul2 (66.6%). Phenotypic resistance to chloramphenicol, beta lactams, cotrimoxazole and ciprofloxacin was strongly correlated with the presence of floR (odds ratio (OR)=12.5, 95% confidence interval (CI)0.936-1.000, P=0.031), blaPSE (OR=24.7, 95% CI 0.000-0.064, P=0.001) sul1 (OR=11.9, 95% CI 0.000 0.065, P=0.000)), parC (OR=13.3, 95% CI 0.000-0.064, P=0.015) respectively. This study has revealed that food and water consumed by children under five years in Karamoja sub-region are contaminated with antibiotic resistant non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica serotypes and are therefore not safe for consumption. Therefore, there is need for concerted effort by concerned authorities to address microbial food safety challenges in Karamoja sub-region as well as develop and priotize prevention measures such as vaccinations and use of antimicrobial peptides as alternatives in managing bacterial infections such as salmonellosis: Salmonellaprevalenceserotypesantimicrobial resistance