Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Food Safety and Hygiene 2476-3241 10 4 2024 10 31 326 339 Dharani Manivannan VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH AND EPIDEMIOLOGY Sureshkhannan Sundaram Professor and Head,Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai-600 007. Porteen Kannan Assistant Professor,DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH AND EPIDEMIOLOGY,MADRAS VETERINARY COLLEGE,CHENNAI Narendra Babu Ravindran Tamil NaduRegistrar, Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Madhavaram Milk Colony, Chennai 600 051,india 2025 02 01 2025 07 28 The present study was conducted to identify various Aeromonas species and assess their virulence potential in meat samples, including fish, chicken, mutton, and pork, collected from retail markets and slaughterhouses in and around Chennai. A total of 200 samples (50 each from fish, chicken, mutton, and pork) were analyzed. Isolation and identification of Aeromonas species were performed using conventional culture techniques, biochemical tests, and multiplex PCR assays targeting the 16S rRNA, gyrB, and rpoB genes. Out of the 200 samples, 95 (47.5%) were confirmed as Aeromonas species, comprising 22 (44%) from fish, 18 (36%) from chicken, 24 (48%) from mutton, and 31 (62%) from pork. Among the isolates, A. veronii was the most prevalent species with 59 (62.11%) isolates, followed by A. hydrophila (20; 21.05%), A. caviae (11; 11.58%), and A. mediae (5; 5.26%). The virulence genes hlyA, aerA, ast, alt, and act were detected in 63 (66.32%) of the 95 isolates by multiplex PCR. Specifically, 85% of A. hydrophila, 62.71% of A. veronii, 60% of A. mediae, and 54.55% of A. caviae harbored one or more of these virulence genes. The presence of multiple virulence genes, along with the high prevalence of Aeromonas spp. in various meat sources, highlights the potential public health risk associated with the consumption of contaminated meat. This study underscores the need for routine monitoring and hygienic handling practices to limit the spread of pathogenic Aeromonas in the food chain. https://jfsh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfsh/article/view/539 https://jfsh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfsh/article/download/539/264