| Summary: | This study attempts to present the antimicrobial resistance, virulence and resistance genes of <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i> and <i>Enterococcus faecium</i> isolated from raw goat’s and sheep’s milk and cheese. Strains were identified by PCR. The dominant species was <i>E. faecalis</i> (77.8%) and was most often isolated from raw goat’s milk. The percentage of antimicrobial-resistant <i>E. faecalis</i> isolates was higher than that of <i>E. faecium</i> isolates, the former most frequently resistant to lincomycin (98%), tetracycline (63%) and streptomycin (16%). Fourteen (22.3%) <i>E. faecalis</i> and 2 (11.1%) <i>E. faecium</i> isolates were identified as multidrug-resistant (MDR). All MDR <i>E. faecalis</i> strains also had virulence genes, whereas one of the two <i>E. faecium</i> strains had them. The most prevalent virulence genes in <i>E. faecalis</i> isolates were <i>asa1</i> (69.8%) and <i>gelE</i> (57.1%). The most prevalent resistance genes found in both bacterial species were <i>tet(M)</i> (43.2%) and <i>vgaA</i> (22.2%). Enterococci from dairy products are confirmed to be a potential source of the spread of antimicrobial resistance, MDR strains, and virulence and resistance genes. This study highlights several aspects of the virulence and pathogenicity of <i>E. faecalis</i> and <i>E. faecium</i> isolated from dairy products—aspects which are indications for their ongoing monitoring.
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