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Antibiotics
Special Issues
Antimicrobial Resistance in the Wildlife
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Antimicrobial Resistance in the Wildlife

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 2915

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Francesca Piras

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Interests: Salmonella enterica; yersinia enterocolitica; food safety; antimicrobial resistance; sequencing
Dr. Giuliana Siddi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Interests: food safety; antimicrobial resistance; microbiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the major challenges of the 21st century that threatens human, animal, and environmental health at a global level, thus requiring a One Health system-thinking approach to counteract it. Although antibiotics misuse and overuse in human and animal healthcare have been considered the main cause of AMR emergence for a long time, nowadays it is ascertained that also anthropogenic activities play a crucial role in the dissemination of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance genes in the environment, including populated areas but also pristine, natural scenarios and the wildlife.

Wildlife is often referred to as reservoirs, vectors, sentinels, and bioindicators of resistant pathogens and genetic determinants of AMR in the environment; nevertheless, the knowledge regarding the implications of these terms for public health remains unclear, as well as the complex transmission dynamics of AMR at the One Health interface. Moreover, some wild species, especially wild ungulates and wild boars, are now considered sources of human foodborne pathogens due to the manipulation and consumption of game meat.

In this frame, this Special Issue welcomes article submissions that focus on the acquisition of mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in wildlife, the transmission of antimicrobial resistance between domestic and wild species, environmental sources of antimicrobial resistance in wild species, the role of natural habitats in antimicrobial resistance spreading, public health implications of antimicrobial resistance in wild animals, and surveillance and monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in wildlife.

Acknowledgment: Giuliana Siddi will be participating in this Special Issue as a "special collaborator"; special thanks for her contributions to the Special Issue.

Dr. Francesca Piras
Dr. Giuliana Siddi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • wildlife
  • wild animal
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • transmission
  • spread
  • One Health

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 1151 KB  
Article
Wild Fishes as Reservoirs of Gut Bacteria Carrying Antimicrobial Resistance Encoding Genes in Chilean Bays
by Claudio D. Miranda, Christopher Concha, Luz Hurtado, Rodrigo Rojas and Jaime Romero
Antibiotics 2026, 15(2), 199; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15020199 - 11 Feb 2026
Viewed by 749
Abstract
Objective: The main aim of the study was to evaluate the role of wild fishes inhabiting in three anthropogenic-impacted Bays in Chile as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Methods: A total of 245 antimicrobial-resistant isolates were isolated from fish captured in [...] Read more.
Objective: The main aim of the study was to evaluate the role of wild fishes inhabiting in three anthropogenic-impacted Bays in Chile as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Methods: A total of 245 antimicrobial-resistant isolates were isolated from fish captured in the Coquimbo (142 isolates), Concepción (44 isolates), and Puerto Montt (59 isolates) Bays, and were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, Antimicrobial-resistant isolates were tested for susceptibility to 12 antimicrobials by an agar disk diffusion method, and the carriage of genes encoding for resistance to main antimicrobial classes, such as β-lactams, amphenicols, tetracyclines, and sulfonamides by PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). Results: A predominance of the Pseudomonas (37.04%), Vibrio (14.40%), and Shewanella (13.99%) genera. Antimicrobial-resistant isolates were tested for susceptibility to 12 antimicrobials by an agar disk diffusion method, showing highest resistance to streptomycin (82.4%), amoxicillin (67.4%), and furazolidone (63.3%), and lowest resistance to ciprofloxacin (3.7%), meropenem (22.5%), and oxytetracycline (29.8%) and exhibiting a high occurrence of the multi-drug resistance phenotype (76.9%). Furthermore, an important number of isolates recovered from sampled fish species carried plasmids (53.5%), floR gene (36.7%), and tet genes (19.2%), whereas the detection of sul genes and class 1-integron was rare. As an overall result, 10.6% of isolates carried at least one bla gene, encoding an extended-spectrum-β-lactamase, with a high predominance of the blaCTX-M1 gene (23 isolates), whereas 14 out of 245 isolates (5.7%) were positive for the carriage of carbapenemases encoding genes, which both groups exhibited the β-lactam resistance phenotype. Conclusions: The wide distribution of ARG-carrying bacteria in wild fishes from all sampled Bays provides evidence that wild fish are important reservoirs and drivers of spread of ARGs in the marine environment, prompting the need of a continuous surveillance of these genes in wild fishes inhabiting anthropic impacted coastal marine environments in Chile. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance in the Wildlife)
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10 pages, 464 KB  
Article
Characterization of Salmonella spp. Isolates from European Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in Italy: Serotypes and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles
by Sara Barbarulo, Elisa Rampacci, Sara Primavilla, Valentina Stefanetti and Fabrizio Passamonti
Antibiotics 2026, 15(1), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15010046 - 3 Jan 2026
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Abstract
Background: Wildlife is increasingly recognized as an important component in the epidemiology of zoonotic pathogens. Salmonella spp., a leading cause of foodborne disease worldwide, can circulate across human, domestic animal, and environmental interfaces. European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), a synanthropic species frequently [...] Read more.
Background: Wildlife is increasingly recognized as an important component in the epidemiology of zoonotic pathogens. Salmonella spp., a leading cause of foodborne disease worldwide, can circulate across human, domestic animal, and environmental interfaces. European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), a synanthropic species frequently inhabiting urban and peri-urban areas, may act as reservoirs or sentinels for Salmonella. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, serotype distribution, and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Salmonella spp. isolated from European hedgehogs admitted to wildlife rehabilitation centers in Italy. Methods: Fecal samples were collected from 100 European hedgehogs housed in five wildlife rehabilitation centers located in four Italian regions. Salmonella spp. were isolated using standard bacteriological methods, serotyped according to the Kaufmann–White–Le Minor scheme, and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by broth microdilution for ampicillin, enrofloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were interpreted following CLSI guidelines. Results: Salmonella spp. was isolated from 30% of the animals sampled. Four serovars were identified, with S. Enteritidis (50%) and S. Typhimurium (36.7%) being the most prevalent, followed by S. Agona (10%) and S. Chester (3.3%). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed a high level of susceptibility, with 90% of isolates sensitive to all tested antibiotics. One S. enteritidis strain showed resistance to enrofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole–trimethoprim, while two isolates exhibited intermediate susceptibility to enrofloxacin. Conclusions: The detection of Salmonella serovars commonly associated with human infections in European hedgehogs highlights the potential role of this species in the ecology of zoonotic Salmonella. Although antimicrobial resistance levels were low, the presence of resistant and intermediate strains underscores the importance of continued surveillance. Despite some limitations related to the study design and sample representativeness, these results support the need for further large-scale investigations, reinforcing the need for integrated One Health surveillance strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance in the Wildlife)
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Review

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27 pages, 984 KB  
Review
Enteric Pathogens in Wild Boars Across the European Union: Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance Within a One Health Framework
by Francesca Piras, Giuliana Siddi, Enrico Pietro Luigi De Santis and Christian Scarano
Antibiotics 2025, 14(12), 1246; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14121246 - 10 Dec 2025
Viewed by 849
Abstract
Wild boars, widely distributed across natural, agricultural, and urban landscapes, represent an ideal sentinel species for monitoring the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at the human–wildlife–livestock interface within the One Health framework. This review summarizes current knowledge on the prevalence, diversity, [...] Read more.
Wild boars, widely distributed across natural, agricultural, and urban landscapes, represent an ideal sentinel species for monitoring the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at the human–wildlife–livestock interface within the One Health framework. This review summarizes current knowledge on the prevalence, diversity, AMR, and epidemiological significance of major enteric pathogens isolated from wild boars in the European Union, with particular attention to their potential role in AMR dissemination. Numerous studies have reported variable prevalence rates for Salmonella spp., Yersinia enterocolitica, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and Campylobacter spp. High prevalence rates has been observed in fecal samples—35% for Salmonella, 27% for Y. enterocolitica and STEC, and 66% for Campylobacter—highlighting the role of wild boars as carriers and the associated risk of carcass contamination during slaughter. Tonsils represent a key niche for Y. enterocolitica, with prevalence reaching 35%. Several studies have identified resistance to antimicrobials classified by the World Health Organization as critically important or high priority for human medicine, including fluoroquinolone-resistant non-typhoidal Salmonella spp. and third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Y. enterocolitica, raising notable public health concerns. Despite increasing interest, most available studies remain descriptive and geographically limited, providing limited insight into AMR acquisition and transmission pathways in wild boars. New approaches—such as resistome analyses and epidemiological cut-off values—offer added value to distinguish wild-type from acquired-resistant strains and to better understand AMR dissemination dynamics. Integrating wildlife into One Health surveillance systems is essential to capture the full complexity of AMR spread. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance in the Wildlife)
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