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The following is a summary of “Combatting Salmonella: a focus on antimicrobial resistance and the need for effective vaccination,” published in the January 2025 issue of Infectious Disease by Nazir et al.
Salmonella infections pose a significant global public health risk due to their zoonotic transmission, antimicrobial resistance, and related morbidity and mortality.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to summarize the zoonotic nature of Salmonella, challenges from antimicrobial resistance, global infection burden, and the need for effective vaccination strategies.
They searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for relevant studies published in English. Keywords like Salmonella, vaccination, antimicrobial resistance, and public health were used to identify studies. Articles on epidemiology, vaccine development, and control strategies were included, excluding conference abstracts and non-peer-reviewed studies.
The results showed Salmonella infections caused approximately 95 million cases annually, with 1,50,000 deaths. Higher infection rates were observed in low- and middle-income countries, which were linked to poor sanitation and food safety. Salmonella Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium were the most common serovars. An increase in multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella strains was noted, driven by excessive antibiotic use in humans and livestock. Despite advances in vaccine development, challenges remain in creating a universal vaccine, with ongoing efforts in live-attenuated, killed, recombinant, subunit, and conjugate vaccines facing issues of efficacy, cost, and accessibility.
Investigators concluded the Salmonella infections remained a global health challenge, requiring improved sanitation, antibiotic stewardship, and the development of affordable, broad-spectrum vaccines to reduce burden.
Source: bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-025-10478-5
