PREVALENCE AND GENOMIC ANALYSIS OF SALMONELLA FROM BROILER CARCASSES AND SLAUGHTER ENVIRONMENTS FROM SMALLHOLDER FARMS IN PERI-URBAN KENYA

This project aims to characterize the genomic diversity of Salmonella enterica isolates recovered from small-scale broiler processing operations in Kenya using whole-genome sequencing. The study aims at conducting MultiLocus sequence typing (MLST), serotype prediction, identification of antimicrobial resistance genes, plasmid characterization, virulence factor profiling, and phylogenetic analysis to elucidate clonal relationships and evolutionary dynamics.The study addresses critical knowledge gaps in food safety within informal poultry value chains in Kenya and across sub-Saharan Africa at large, where an estimated 60-80% of poultry products are processed under conditions with minimal food safety oversight. The findings will inform food safety policies, hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) strategies, risk-based inspection protocols, capacity building for informal sector processors, and One Health approaches to improving food safety and public health protection in informal resource-limited settings where Salmonella contamination of poultry remains a major foodborne illness concern.