Antimicrobial Resistance in Veterinary Pathogens: Phenotypic Surveillance, Genomic Epidemiology, and Control Measures

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 2005

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1078 Budapest, Hungary
Interests: pharmacology; antimicrobial resistance; poultry; swine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1078 Budapest, Hungary
Interests: pharmacology; antimicrobial resistance; pharmacokinetics; pharmacodynamics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in veterinary pathogens poses a growing threat to both animal and human health, particularly within the context of the One Health framework. Livestock and companion animals can serve as reservoirs for multidrug-resistant organisms, contributing to the broader dissemination of resistance genes through zoonotic transmission. Traditional phenotypic surveillance, based on minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) profiles and antimicrobial susceptibility testing, remains essential for monitoring resistance trends. However, recent advances in whole genome sequencing and related omics technologies have opened new avenues for characterizing resistance mechanisms at the molecular level, tracking mobile genetic elements, and uncovering clonal spread within and across animal populations.

This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research on antimicrobial resistance in veterinary pathogens, with a particular emphasis on integrating phenotypic surveillance data with genomic epidemiology. Submissions exploring natural or alternative antimicrobial control measures, such as phytochemicals, probiotics, or resistance-modifying agents, are also highly encouraged. By combining classical microbiological tools with modern molecular approaches, this collection seeks to expand our understanding of AMR dynamics in veterinary contexts and inform more effective surveillance, stewardship, and mitigation strategies.

Dr. Ádám Kerek
Dr. Ákos Jerzsele
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • antimicrobial resistance
  • veterinary pathogens
  • phenotypic surveillance
  • genomic epidemiology
  • resistance genes
  • alternative control strategies
  • One Health

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 893 KB  
Article
Retrospective Study of Bacteriological Patterns and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Mastitis in the Banat Region of Romania
by Caius Stoichescu, János Degi, Eugenia Dumitrescu, Florin Muselin, Diana Brezovan and Romeo Teodor Cristina
Antibiotics 2026, 15(2), 198; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15020198 - 11 Feb 2026
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Abstract
Background: Bovine mastitis is a leading cause of economic loss in dairy farming and is increasingly complicated by antimicrobial resistance (AMR), posing challenges to treatment and public health. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, bacterial etiology, and AMR patterns of mastitis [...] Read more.
Background: Bovine mastitis is a leading cause of economic loss in dairy farming and is increasingly complicated by antimicrobial resistance (AMR), posing challenges to treatment and public health. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, bacterial etiology, and AMR patterns of mastitis pathogens in dairy herds from the Banat region of Romania. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 420 dairy cows from five localities. Mastitis diagnosis involved clinical examination, indirect tests (California Mastitis Test (CMT), R-Mastitest), and bacteriological culture. Antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed using the VITEK® 2 system. Results: Out of 420 cows, 120 (28.6%) were diagnosed with mastitis. The predominant pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus (33.3%) and Streptococcus agalactiae (22.5%). Most infections were monomicrobial (70%) and affected a single under quarter (77.5%). Beta-lactam resistance was widespread among both Gram-positive and Gram-negative isolates, particularly against penicillin and ampicillin. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains were identified in 33.3% of all isolates, with 100% of Gram-negative isolates exhibiting MDR profiles. Conclusions: The high prevalence of S. aureus and S. agalactiae, along with widespread beta-lactam resistance and frequent MDR phenotypes, highlights the urgent need for routine AMR surveillance and targeted antimicrobial therapy in bovine mastitis control programs. Full article
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18 pages, 337 KB  
Article
Phenotypic and Genomic Characterization of Vancomycin Non-Susceptibility in Multidrug-Resistant Enterococcus spp. From Hungarian Poultry
by Ádám Kerek, Gergely Tornyos, Krisztián Bányai, Eszter Kaszab and Ákos Jerzsele
Antibiotics 2026, 15(2), 131; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15020131 - 28 Jan 2026
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Abstract
Background: Vancomycin is a critically important antimicrobial in human medicine, and vancomycin-non-susceptible enterococci represent a One Health concern when animal reservoirs contribute to the wider resistance ecology. We aimed to characterize vancomycin non-susceptibility among poultry-derived Enterococcus spp. from Hungary, using a combined [...] Read more.
Background: Vancomycin is a critically important antimicrobial in human medicine, and vancomycin-non-susceptible enterococci represent a One Health concern when animal reservoirs contribute to the wider resistance ecology. We aimed to characterize vancomycin non-susceptibility among poultry-derived Enterococcus spp. from Hungary, using a combined phenotypic–genomic approach. Methods: Following a phenotypic pre-screen with antimicrobials authorized for poultry, 218 isolates with elevated minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were selected for extended broth microdilution testing including vancomycin. Vancomycin susceptibility was interpreted using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) clinical breakpoints and European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) epidemiological cut-off values (ECOFFs). Whole-genome sequencing was performed on a targeted multidrug resistant (MDR) subset (n = 42), enriched for elevated or borderline vancomycin MICs and stratified by region and host species (chicken, turkey), and resistance determinants were annotated against the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) using stringent similarity/coverage thresholds. Results: Among the 218 pre-screened isolates (126 from chickens; 92 from turkeys), 196 (89.9%) met MDR criteria. For vancomycin, 15.6% of isolates were resistant and 9.2% intermediate by CLSI, while EUCAST ECOFF classification placed 34.9% in the non-wild-type group. The vancomycin MIC distribution was right shifted, with high-end MICs observed. In the sequenced subset, vancomycin-associated determinants consistent with the vanC pathway (including regulatory and auxiliary components) were detected in five isolates. Beyond vancomycin-related determinants, the WGS subset harbored common resistance genes consistent with the observed multidrug-resistant phenotypes. Conclusions: Vancomycin non-susceptibility was detected among pre-screened poultry-derived Enterococcus isolates in Hungary, and genomic analysis revealed vanC-associated and other peptide antibiotic resistance signatures. These findings support targeted One Health surveillance integrating MIC distributions with genomic resistance determinants in food animal reservoirs. Full article
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