Tigecycline-resistant Staphylococcus in waiting pens of a pig slaughterhouse: genomic insights into a food safety alert

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ID: 327056
2026
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: The waiting pens of slaughterhouses represent a critical control point in the 'farm-to-fork' continuum, yet their role in the emergence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance remains understudied. This study investigated tigecycline-resistant Staphylococcus (TRS) in these high-risk zones to assess their prevalence, resistance mechanisms, and transmission dynamics. METHODS: 400 samples were collected from the waiting pens of a pig slaughterhouse in Guangzhou, China. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, whole-genome sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, and molecular cloning were employed to characterize resistance mechanisms and transmission patterns. RESULTS: 78 TRS strains were isolated and classified into three species, including S. borealis, S. ureilyticus, and S. pasteuri. These isolates exhibited multidrug-resistant phenotypes and carried new mutations in rpsJ and tet(M), which were functionally confirmed to reduce tigecycline susceptibility. Phylogenetic evidence demonstrated clonal transmission between pig farms and the slaughterhouse. The tet(M) gene was located within Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec elements mediated by IS257, while tet(L) was carried by plasmids formed through IS256/IS257-mediated recombination. CONCLUSIONS: Waiting pens serve as crucial reservoirs for the amplification and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. Our findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced biosecurity measures, improved waste management, and routine molecular surveillance in these high-risk zones to mitigate the spread of resistance along the food production chain.
Reference Key
openalex_W7204946925 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Honghao Huang, Feifei Zhao, Ruonan Zhao, Lu Diao, Peng Wan, Zhengyuan He, Huan Chen, Lingxuan Zhang, Yafei Li, Zhenling Zeng
Journal The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/jac/dkag254
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkag254
Keywords Keywords not found

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