Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of and spp. Isolates from Pigs at Slaughterhouse and from Commercial Pork Meat in Portugal.

Foodborne diseases are a serious public health concern, and food-producing animals are a major source of contamination. The present study analysed and spp. isolated from faecal samples of 100 fattening pigs and from 52 samples of pork meat. The results showed that the majority of the analysed meat samples were considered satisfactory in terms of microbiological quality (92.3% for and 94.2% for spp.). spp. was identified in 5.8% of the meat samples, whereas was detected in 89.5% of all samples (69.2% in meat and 100% in faecal samples). Furthermore, 1.9% of the faecal samples contained Shiga-toxin-producing and 3.9% contained enterotoxigenic . All sequenced isolates presented virulence genes for extraintestinal pathogenic . Moreover, 75.0% of isolates from meat and 71.8% from faeces samples showed antibiotic resistance, with 40.7% and 51.4%, respectively, being multidrug-resistant (MDR). The most prevalent resistances were to tetracycline, ampicillin, and sulfamethoxazole, and one isolate showed resistance to extended-spectrum β-lactamase. This study highlights the role of pigs as a potential source of human contamination and the importance of a One Health approach to ensure food safety and to promote public health.