Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that is commonly found in humans and animals and can cause a wide variety of infections in both. The development of resistance to multiple antibiotics in this bacterium in animals for consumption, particularly rabbits, represents a major concern in terms of food safety and, consequently, public health.

The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in rabbits for consumption and to determine their antimicrobial resistance.

A total of 65 rabbit samples were collected from different farms in northern Portugal and eight MRSA strains were randomly selected and subsequently tested against 14 antimicrobial agents including penicillin, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, macrolides, tetracyclines, oxazolidinones and other miscellaneous agents. Susceptibility testing was carried out using the agar disc diffusion method, as recommended by the EUCAST and CLSI guidelines.

Of the 65 samples collected from healthy rabbits, 16.92% corresponded to MRSA and 9.23% to MSSA. All the strains selected showed resistance to penicillin and ciprofloxacin. None of the strains showed resistance to linezolid or chloramphenicol; however, 37.5% showed resistance to gentamicin, 25% to cefoxitin, tobramycin, kanamycin, clindamycin, fusidic acid and mupirocin and 12.5% to erythromycin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Of the strains selected, 25% were multidrug-resistant.

Our results highlight the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of S. aureus in rabbits for consumption, emphasizing the potential risks to food safety and public health. Thus, understanding the form of S. aureus contamination in rabbit meat is crucial for implementing effective control measures to mitigate the spread of antimicrobial resistance and ensure the safety of the food chain.