Antimicrobial resistance and genomic characterization of Salmonella Minnesota, ESBL-producing Escherichia coli, and ESKAPE pathogens isolated from Brazilian broiler chicken carcasses

Introduction

Brazil is the world's largest exporter of chicken meat, and poultry products are recognized as important reservoirs of foodborne pathogens. Salmonella enterica serovar Minnesota has emerged as the predominant serovar in the poultry industry and is frequently associated with multidrug-resistant strains carrying multiple antimicrobial resistance genes. In addition, Escherichia coli and ESKAPE pathogens have been increasingly isolated from poultry products worldwide, representing a growing public health concern due to their antimicrobial resistance and dissemination potential. This study aimed to characterize the antimicrobial resistance profiles of Salmonella spp., E. coli, and ESKAPE pathogens isolated from chicken carcasses using phenotypic and genomic approaches.