AUTHOR=Retamal Patricio , Gaspar Joaquim , Benavides María Belén , Saenz Leonardo , Galarce Nicolás , Aravena Trinidad , Cornejo Javiera , Lapierre Lisette 

TITLE=Virulence and antimicrobial resistance factors in Salmonella enterica serotypes isolated from pigs and chickens in central Chile

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.971246

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2022.971246

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Salmonella enterica</italic> is a food-borne pathogen with a wide host-range that during decades has been of public health concern in developed and developing countries. In Chile, the poultry and pig industries represent the biggest contribution of meat consumption in the population, and sanitary regulations have been imposed for <italic>Salmonella</italic> control. The aim of this work was to determine and characterize <italic>Salmonella</italic> strains isolated from pigs and chicken raised on commercials farms in Chile. For this, isolates belonging to pigs (<italic>n</italic> = 46) and poultry (<italic>n</italic> = 57) were genotyped by two multiplex PCR reactions and virulotyped by the PCR detection of virulence-associated genes. In addition, isolates were serotyped and analyzed by the Kirby Bauer assay to determine their antimicrobial resistance phenotypes. From these analyses 52 genotypes, six serotypes and several multidrug resistance phenotypes and different combinations of virulence-associated genes were detected. These results suggest that <italic>S. enterica</italic> in pigs and poultry in central Chile should be monitored due to potential consequences in public and animal health.</p>