Determination of the Prevalence of Resistance to Biocides in Salmonella and Identification of the Genetic Mechanisms of Resistance

1. Screen isolates of Salmonella serovars most often associated with meat products and human infection for resistance to antimicrobials, sanitizers, and biocides used as interventions in meat and poultry production. 2. Compare the genome sequences of resistant isolates to susceptible isolates to identify resistance mechanisms. Also determine if these biocide resistance mechanisms are linked to antibiotic resistance or virulence genes, or if they are found in outbreak strains. 3. Determine which genetic elements encoding the resistance could be used as markers to identify biocide-resistant strains of Salmonella.