Smelly shark, smelly ray: what is infecting you?

This article focuses on the bacteriological assessment of sharks and rays (elasmobranchs) from a major landing port in Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, highlighting potential public health risks associated with their consumption. The study isolated and identified various bacteria, including Enterobacterales (notably Morganella morganii and Citrobacter freundii), Vibrio spp. (especially Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio fluvialis), and Aeromonas spp. (such as Aeromonas allosacharophila and Aeromonas veronii bv. veronii), some of which exhibited antimicrobial resistance. Notably, this is the first study to perform serological assessments of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica from elasmobranchs, identifying the zoonotic Typhimurium serovar with intermediate resistance to several antibiotics. The findings underscore the importance of further bacteriological monitoring of elasmobranchs due to their role in local diets and the potential for zoonotic transmission and antibiotic resistance dissemination within the One Health framework.