FEATURE
Advocates Philippines
What's Really In Your Chicken? Study Finds Drug-Resistant Salmonella In Metro Manila Markets
Photo credit: DA
If chicken is a staple on your table, this latest research might make you pause—and think twice about food safety.
A new study published in Frontiers in Microbiology takes a closer look at Salmonella enterica, one of the world’s most common causes of foodborne illness. This bacteria comes in two forms: one that causes typhoid fever, and another—known as non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS)—that’s often behind food poisoning but can also trigger more serious infections.
Here’s where it gets concerning.
Researchers from University of the Philippines Diliman collected chicken samples from public wet markets across Metro Manila. These samples, sourced from local farms and passed through slaughterhouses, were analyzed using advanced whole-genome sequencing to better understand what’s lurking in everyday poultry.
Out of 95 bacterial samples isolated from chicken cuts, the team identified 15 different strains of NTS. The most common? Salmonella Infantis, a strain increasingly linked to human infections worldwide.
But the bigger issue isn’t just the presence of bacteria—it’s their growing resistance to treatment.
The study found that nearly 74% of the samples were resistant to at least one type of antibiotic. Even more alarming, about 45% showed resistance to three or more classes of antibiotics. In simple terms, these bacteria are becoming harder to kill using standard medicines.
Researchers also detected specific genes that not only make these bacteria drug-resistant but also boost their ability to infect both humans and animals.
So what does this mean for everyday consumers?
According to the study, contaminated chicken could act as a silent carrier of these resistant bacteria, spreading them along the entire “farm-to-fork” chain—from production and processing all the way to your kitchen.
The takeaway isn’t to stop eating chicken—but to be more mindful. Proper handling, thorough cooking, and stricter food safety measures across the supply chain are more important than ever.
Behind the research are scientists Michael Joseph M. Nagpala, Jonah Feliza B. Mora, Rance Derrick N. Pavon, and Windell L. Rivera, all working to shed light on a growing public health concern that’s closer to home than many might think.
Because sometimes, the biggest risks aren’t what we see—but what’s quietly sitting on our plate.
A new study published in Frontiers in Microbiology takes a closer look at Salmonella enterica, one of the world’s most common causes of foodborne illness. This bacteria comes in two forms: one that causes typhoid fever, and another—known as non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS)—that’s often behind food poisoning but can also trigger more serious infections.
Here’s where it gets concerning.
Researchers from University of the Philippines Diliman collected chicken samples from public wet markets across Metro Manila. These samples, sourced from local farms and passed through slaughterhouses, were analyzed using advanced whole-genome sequencing to better understand what’s lurking in everyday poultry.
Out of 95 bacterial samples isolated from chicken cuts, the team identified 15 different strains of NTS. The most common? Salmonella Infantis, a strain increasingly linked to human infections worldwide.
But the bigger issue isn’t just the presence of bacteria—it’s their growing resistance to treatment.
The study found that nearly 74% of the samples were resistant to at least one type of antibiotic. Even more alarming, about 45% showed resistance to three or more classes of antibiotics. In simple terms, these bacteria are becoming harder to kill using standard medicines.
Researchers also detected specific genes that not only make these bacteria drug-resistant but also boost their ability to infect both humans and animals.
So what does this mean for everyday consumers?
According to the study, contaminated chicken could act as a silent carrier of these resistant bacteria, spreading them along the entire “farm-to-fork” chain—from production and processing all the way to your kitchen.
The takeaway isn’t to stop eating chicken—but to be more mindful. Proper handling, thorough cooking, and stricter food safety measures across the supply chain are more important than ever.
Behind the research are scientists Michael Joseph M. Nagpala, Jonah Feliza B. Mora, Rance Derrick N. Pavon, and Windell L. Rivera, all working to shed light on a growing public health concern that’s closer to home than many might think.
Because sometimes, the biggest risks aren’t what we see—but what’s quietly sitting on our plate.
Apr 9, 2026
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