Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacterial Zoonoses

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Clinical Studies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 330

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
2. Centre for Climate Change Impact, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
3. Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: zoonosis; antimicrobial-resistance; enteropathogens; Staphylococcus; Leptospira; arthropod-borne bacteria
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Zoonoses are diseases that are naturally transmitted between vertebrate animals and human beings, either directly (by contact, ingestion, or inhalation) or via fomites or biological vectors, when arthropods are involved.

Bacterial pathogens are often transmitted between animals (pets, livestock, and wildlife) and humans.

In addition, bacteria have the ability to acquire and disseminate resistance traits. The interplay between antimicrobial resistance, virulence factors, and mobile genetic elements in the dissemination of these traits highlights the complexity of managing the bacterial infections in animal and human populations.

This Special Issue aims to provide comprehensive insights into the challenges posed by antimicrobial resistance and virulence in zoonotic bacteria in a One Health perspective. Submissions of both original research and review articles are welcome.

Dr. Valentina Virginia Ebani
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • bacteria
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • resistance genes
  • companion animals
  • livestock
  • poultry, wild animals
  • zoonoses
  • bacterial infectious diseases
  • antimicrobial therapy
  • One Health

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 3755 KB  
Article
Transcriptomic Analysis of the Impact of the tet(X4) Gene on the Growth Characteristics and Antibiotic Resistance Phenotypes of Escherichia coli Isolated from Musk Deer
by Kaiwei Yang, Xi Wu, Bingcun Ma, Jianguo Cheng, Zengting Li, Yin Wang, Zexiao Yang, Xueping Yao and Yan Luo
Animals 2025, 15(24), 3564; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15243564 - 11 Dec 2025
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Abstract
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a ubiquitous opportunistic pathogen in nature and serves as an important reservoir for antibiotic resistance genes. The tet(X4) gene is a key determinant mediating tigecycline resistance. Although its core resistance mechanism, encoding a flavin-dependent monooxygenase, [...] Read more.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a ubiquitous opportunistic pathogen in nature and serves as an important reservoir for antibiotic resistance genes. The tet(X4) gene is a key determinant mediating tigecycline resistance. Although its core resistance mechanism, encoding a flavin-dependent monooxygenase, has been elucidated, the broader impact of the tet(X4) gene on the secondary regulatory networks of E. coli remains not fully understood. In recent years, multiple studies have indicated that the tet(X4) gene participates in pathways contributing to resistance to other antibiotics by regulating the expression of various genes. In this study, E. coli tet(X4) gene deletion and complementation strains were constructed to investigate the mechanisms by which the tet(X4) gene influences the growth characteristics and antibiotic resistance of E. coli. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 24 different antibiotics, as well as the degradation capacities of tetracycline and tigecycline, were determined for the wild-type, deletion, and complementation strains. In addition, a four-week starvation stress experiment was performed under both the presence and absence of sub-inhibitory concentrations of tigecycline, during which the bacterial growth curves, survival rates, and MIC variations were analyzed. Transcriptomic sequencing of the wild-type, deletion, and complementation strains identified 531 differentially expressed genes associated with ABC transporter activity, drug metabolism, and bacterial two-component systems. These findings provide reliable evidence for elucidating the mechanism by which the tet(X4) gene affects E. coli resistance, offering valuable insights into the prevention and control of tigecycline-resistant E. coli infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacterial Zoonoses)
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