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Article

Occurrence and Characterization of Antimicrobial-Resistant and Virulent Enterococcus spp. in Dog Feces from Urban Green Spaces in Porto (Portugal)

by
Jessica Ribeiro
1,2,3,4,
Rui Lameiras
1,
Vanessa Silva
1,2,5,6,
Gilberto Igrejas
2,4,
Francisco Cortez Nunes
7,
Ana Isabel Ribeiro
8,9,
Teresa Letra Mateus
5,9,10,* and
Patrícia Poeta
1,2,5,6
1
Microbiology and Antibiotic Resistance Team (MicroART), Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
2
Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry (LAQV-REQUIMTE), Department of Chemistry, University NOVA of Lisbon, 2829-516 Lisbon, Portugal
3
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), La SusTEC, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
4
Functional Genomics and Proteomics Unit, Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
5
Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
6
Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Science (AL4AnimalS), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
7
Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
8
Department of Geography, Faculdade de Letras, Universidade do Porto, Centre of Studies in Geography and Spatial Planning (CEGOT), 4150-564 Porto, Portugal
9
EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
10
CISAS—Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Antibiotics 2026, 15(4), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15040379
Submission received: 16 February 2026 / Revised: 23 March 2026 / Accepted: 2 April 2026 / Published: 8 April 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance and One Health: Environmental Health, Food Safety, and Practice of Health Professionals)
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Abstract

Background/Objectives: Enterococcus spp. are important indicators of AMR and potential opportunistic pathogens. Urban green spaces, frequented by dogs and humans, may serve as reservoirs for resistant bacteria. This study assessed the occurrence, AMR profiles, and virulence traits of Enterococcus spp. in dog feces from urban green spaces in Porto (Portugal). Methods: In December 2023 and May 2024, 240 dog fecal samples were collected from 12 urban green spaces across Porto. Enterococcus spp. were isolated using selective culture, identified to species level, and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility following CLSI guidelines. PCR screening was performed for resistance genes (vanA, vanB, erm(A/B/C), vatD/E, tet(M/O/L/K)) and virulence genes (gelE, ace). Environmental and socioeconomic features, including vegetation density (NDVI), presence of water features, and neighborhood deprivation (EDI), were recorded to explore associations with bacterial occurrence and traits. Results: Thirty-two isolates were recovered, mainly E. faecium (n = 9) and E. faecalis (n = 7). High resistance rates were observed to tetracycline (56.3%) and quinupristin/dalfopristin (37.5%), with lower rates for vancomycin, teicoplanin, and ciprofloxacin (3.1%), and imipenem (6.3%). Tet(M) was the most prevalent resistance gene (40.6%), and gelE and ace were frequently detected, often co-occurring with resistance determinants. Distribution of resistance and virulence genes varied across green spaces, with widely used parks showing more isolates. Vegetation density and water features were not directly associated with bacterial recovery. Conclusions: Dog feces in urban green spaces contribute to localized AMR hotspots, acting as potential reservoirs of resistant and potentially pathogenic Enterococcus spp. These findings highlight the importance of One Health strategies for urban sanitation and AMR surveillance.
Keywords: antimicrobial resistance; environmental reservoirs; NDVI; One Health; public health risk; socioeconomic deprivation; virulence factors antimicrobial resistance; environmental reservoirs; NDVI; One Health; public health risk; socioeconomic deprivation; virulence factors

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MDPI and ACS Style

Ribeiro, J.; Lameiras, R.; Silva, V.; Igrejas, G.; Cortez Nunes, F.; Ribeiro, A.I.; Mateus, T.L.; Poeta, P. Occurrence and Characterization of Antimicrobial-Resistant and Virulent Enterococcus spp. in Dog Feces from Urban Green Spaces in Porto (Portugal). Antibiotics 2026, 15, 379. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15040379

AMA Style

Ribeiro J, Lameiras R, Silva V, Igrejas G, Cortez Nunes F, Ribeiro AI, Mateus TL, Poeta P. Occurrence and Characterization of Antimicrobial-Resistant and Virulent Enterococcus spp. in Dog Feces from Urban Green Spaces in Porto (Portugal). Antibiotics. 2026; 15(4):379. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15040379

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ribeiro, Jessica, Rui Lameiras, Vanessa Silva, Gilberto Igrejas, Francisco Cortez Nunes, Ana Isabel Ribeiro, Teresa Letra Mateus, and Patrícia Poeta. 2026. "Occurrence and Characterization of Antimicrobial-Resistant and Virulent Enterococcus spp. in Dog Feces from Urban Green Spaces in Porto (Portugal)" Antibiotics 15, no. 4: 379. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15040379

APA Style

Ribeiro, J., Lameiras, R., Silva, V., Igrejas, G., Cortez Nunes, F., Ribeiro, A. I., Mateus, T. L., & Poeta, P. (2026). Occurrence and Characterization of Antimicrobial-Resistant and Virulent Enterococcus spp. in Dog Feces from Urban Green Spaces in Porto (Portugal). Antibiotics, 15(4), 379. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15040379

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