{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T16:36:13Z","timestamp":1785429373183,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783555200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004587","name":"Instituto de Salud Carlos III","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["PI18\/01258"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PI18\/01258"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004587","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["PI18\/01258"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PI18\/01258"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00ca2c886","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Antibiotics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and objectives: Extended-spectrum \u03b2-lactamase (ESBL)- and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae represent an increasing One Health concern because food-producing animals may act as reservoirs of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria with potential transmission to humans. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and genomic characteristics of ESBL- and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in livestock and farmers, and to evaluate genomic overlap between animal and human ESBL-producing Escherichia coli to explore potential shared origins and interspecies transmission. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in Osona (Catalonia, Spain), sampling livestock (swine, cattle, poultry, and horses) and farmers. ESBL-, AmpC-, and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae were identified and characterized using whole genome sequencing (WGS). Genomic analyses included sequence typing (ST), serotyping, virulence-associated genes, antimicrobial resistance determinants, and plasmid replicon profiling. Results: A total of 945 animals were analysed. ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae were predominantly detected in swine, with 63.5% (127\/200) of animals testing positive, including four ESBL + AmpC-producing isolates and two carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. No ESBL-, AmpC- or carbapenemase-producing isolates were identified in cattle (0\/360) or poultry (0\/171), and a low prevalence was observed in horses (7.0%, 15\/214). A total of 64 farm workers were analysed. ESBL-producing E. coli were detected in 46.7% (7\/15) of swine farmers and 8.3% (2\/24) of cattle farmers, while no ESBL-producing isolates were found among poultry farmers (0\/8) or equine caretakers (0\/17). A total of 162 isolates were analyzed by WGS, showing high genetic diversity. Among the 127 Escherichia coli isolates, the most prevalent were ST10 (18\/127, 14.2%), followed by ST453 (7\/127, 5.5%), ST515 (7\/127, 5.5%), and ST10562 (7\/127, 5.5%). Virulence-associated gene profiles were heterogeneous, although genes related to stress tolerance and intestinal colonization predominated among ESBL-producing E. coli isolates from swine, including terC (54\/127, 42.5%), csgA (41\/127, 32.3%), nlpI (41\/127, 32.3%), and fimH (39\/127, 30.7%). ESBL production among E. coli isolates from swine was primarily mediated by blaCTX-M genes (89\/127, 70.1%), with additional contributions from blaSHV (34\/127, 26.8%) and blaTEM (40\/127, 31.5%). Among swine isolates, IncX1 (100\/127, 78.7%), IncFIB(AP001918) (82\/127, 64.6%), IncI1-I(Alpha) (69\/127, 54.3%), and IncFII (54\/127, 42.5%) were the most frequently detected plasmid replicons. Two carbapenem-resistant isolates carrying blaOXA-48 were identified in swine, including E. coli ST58 and K. oxytoca ST145, both associated with IncL plasmids. Conclusions: Swine appear to constitute the primary reservoir of ESBL-producing E. coli. The genomic relatedness observed between animal and human isolates supports shared exposure to a common ecological pool of multidrug-resistant bacteria. The identification of blaOXA-48-producing Enterobacterales associated with IncL plasmids further highlights the public health relevance of livestock-associated antimicrobial resistance. However, the cross-sectional design precludes inference of transmission pathways or transmission directionality. Longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate the dynamics of interspecies transmission.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics15070676","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T16:16:44Z","timestamp":1783613804000},"page":"676","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Prevalence and Genomic Characterization of ESBL-Producing Escherichia coli in Livestock and Farmers in Catalonia, Spain"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3789-8689","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marina","family":"Serras-Pujol","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona, 08916 Badalona, Spain"},{"name":"Emergency Department, Hospital General de Granollers, 08402 Granollers, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0376-5036","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Noem\u00ed","family":"P\u00e1rraga-Ni\u00f1o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical and Environmental Infectious Diseases Study Group, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute, 08916 Badalona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marian","family":"Navarro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari de Vic, 08500 Vic, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Vilamala","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari de Vic, 08500 Vic, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5510-2480","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Emma","family":"Puigoriol","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Epidemiology Department, Hospital Universitari de Vic, 08500 Vic, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7468-6979","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elisenda","family":"Arqu\u00e9","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical and Environmental Infectious Diseases Study Group, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute, 08916 Badalona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4798-2385","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Judit","family":"Serra-Pladevall","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona, 08916 Badalona, Spain"},{"name":"Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari de Vic, 08500 Vic, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luisa","family":"Pedro-Botet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona, 08916 Badalona, Spain"},{"name":"Clinical and Environmental Infectious Diseases Study Group, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute, 08916 Badalona, Spain"},{"name":"Fundaci\u00f3 Lluita Contra les Infeccions, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4069-6087","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Esteban","family":"Reynaga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona, 08916 Badalona, Spain"},{"name":"Clinical and Environmental Infectious Diseases Study Group, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute, 08916 Badalona, Spain"},{"name":"Fundaci\u00f3 Lluita Contra les Infeccions, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2025, November 24). 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