Pathogenic , spp. and spp. in Two Natural Conservation Centers of Wildlife in Portugal: Genotypic and Phenotypic Characterization.

Human-wildlife coexistence may increase the potential risk of direct transmission of emergent or re-emergent zoonotic pathogens to humans. Intending to assess the occurrence of three important foodborne pathogens in wild animals of two wildlife conservation centers in Portugal, we investigated 132 fecal samples for the presence of (Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) and non-STEC), spp. and spp. A genotypic search for genes having virulence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was performed by means of PCR and Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS) and phenotypic (serotyping and AMR profiles) characterization. Overall, 62 samples tested positive for at least one of these species: 27.3% for STEC, 11.4% for non-STEC, 3.0% for spp. and 6.8% for spp. AMR was detected in four isolates and the only isolated in this study. WGS analysis revealed that 57.7% (30/52) of pathogenic integrated genetic clusters of highly closely related isolates (often involving different animal species), supporting the circulation and transmission of different pathogenic strains in the studied areas. These results support the idea that the health of humans, animals and ecosystems are interconnected, reinforcing the importance of a One Health approach to better monitor and control public health threats.