Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant global threat to public health, necessitating comprehensive studies to understand its prevalence and implications in foodborne pathogens. This research focused on characterizing the AMR profile, virulence patterns, sequence types, and plasmid profiling of Enterococcus faecalis isolated from animal origin foods in the North- Eastern (NE) regions of India, with particular attention to Assam. Leveraging advanced whole genome sequencing technology, the study investigated nine E. faecalis isolates, addressing crucial data gaps in this region. The genome size of E. faecalis varied from 2.6 to 2.7mbp, encompassing 2568 to 2746 genes. Several antimicrobial resistant genes were identified across the isolates including genes encoding resistance to tetracycline ( tetL and tetM ), acridine dye ( emeA ), diaminopyrimidine ( dfrE, and dfrG ), lincosamide ( lsaA and lnuG ), fluoroquinolone ( efrA and efrB ). In the case of E. faecalis , resistance against penicillin was prominent, while all isolates demonstrated susceptibility to gentamicin and linezolid.The plasmid replicon, repUS43 was found in six E. faecalis strains. The analysis revealed the presence of 109232 core SNP positions, comprising 79279 transitions and 29953 transversions in E. faecalis . Pangenome analysis of E. faecalis displayed 54.69% core genes and 45.30% accessory genes. The study identified the presence of AMR E. faecalis isolates in food with significant virulence genes having higher human pathogenic potential signifies the public health importance. All E. faecalis isolates were predicted as human pathogens with an approximate mean probability of 85.07%. The result of study forewarns proper hygienic measures should be taken while handling the foods of animal origin to avoid contamination of the food with potential pathogen. These findings are instrumental in establishing a comprehensive national database focused on sequence types, AMR, and virulence markers, thus facilitating future risk assessments and the implementation of effective strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance. By shedding light on the genomic aspects of foodborne pathogens, this study aims to safeguard public health and mitigate the risk of AMR transmission through the food chain. • Study analyzed nine E. faecalis isolates from animal-origin foods in Northeast India, Assam by whole genome sequencing (WGS). • WGS analysis detected multiple AMR genes including resistance to Tetracycline ( tetL , tetM ), Acridine dye ( emeA ), Diaminopyrimidine ( dfrE , dfrG ), Lincosamide ( lsaA , lnuG ), Fluoroquinolones ( efrA , efrB ). • All isolates predicted to be human pathogens with ~85% probability. • Findings highlight the need for strict hygiene during handling of animal-origin foods to prevent contamination.
Beegum et al. (Fri,) studied this question.