Journal of Food Quality and Hazards Control

en Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo f. domestica) Meat as a Potential Reservoir for Dissemination of Antimicrobial Resistant and Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli Strains تخصصي Special Original article Original article <div style="text-align: justify;">Background: Enteropathogenic and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) are the two main pathotypes capable of causing serious human infections, especially when resistant to antibiotics. Methods: In this work, 95 turkey carcasses were swabbed in slaughterhouse over four months (June–September 2023). Antibiotic resistance was evaluated by a disk diffusion method named Kirby–Bauer against nine antimicrobial agents. Three virulence genes including stx1, stx2, eae, three resistance genes including blaTEM, blaSHV, blaCTX-M, and four phylogenetic markers (arpA, chuA, yjaA, TspE4.C2) were screened by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS (version 24), with the chi-square test at a significance level of p≤0.05. Results: Out of 95 carcasses, 72 (75.78%) were E. coli-positive. Among the E. coli isolates, 63.89% were resistant to chloramphenicol, 59.72% to nalidixic acid, and 56.94% to florfenicol. One isolate, classified as extended-spectrum beta-lactamase positive, belonged to phylogroup D and showed simultaneous resistance to four antibiotics without harboring the resistance genes studied. Overall, 52.7% of the E. coli isolates were recognized as Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR). Profiles of resistance genes included blaTEM (23.61%), blaTEM/blaSHV (2.77%), and blaCTX-M (1.38%). Virulence genes were detected in six isolates: stx1 (4.17%), stx2 (1.39%), and eae (2.77%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed five groups: A (19.44%), B1 (36.11%), C (5.55%), D (13.8%), and E (15.27%), while 9.72% remained unclassified. Conclusion: The occurrence of E. coli isolates harboring virulence and antibiotic-resistance genes in turkey carcasses underscores serious public health risks. The significant frequency of Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) E. coli isolates highlights the need for improved monitoring and control measures throughout the food chain. DOI: 10.18502/jfqhc.13.1.21379</div> Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli, Beta-Lactamase, Antibiotic Resistance, Phylogeny, Turkeys, Abattoirs 40 46 http://jfqhc.ssu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1773-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 M. Bagheri ma.bagheri@uk.ac.ir 0000-0003-0522-9747 Yes Department of Food Science and Technology, Bardsir Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran R. Ghanbarpour No Molecular Microbiology Research Group, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran Z. Amirpoorsaid No Department of Food Science and Technology, Bardsir Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran P. Mohseni No Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran M. Hesam-Arefi No Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran M. Jajarmi No Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran