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Antibiotics
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Antimicrobial Resistance in Veterinary Pathogens: Phenotypic Surveillance, Genomic Epidemiology, and...
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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 December 2026 | Viewed by 2671

Editors

Dr. Ádám Kerek

E-Mail Website
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
Dr. Ákos Jerzsele

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

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-anonymized 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

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

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 859 KB  
Article
Resistance to Human-Reserved Antimicrobials in Clinical and Commensal Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium from Dogs and Cats
by Giulia Iamone, Alessandro Bellato, Ilaria Prandi, Maria Cristina Stella, Simona Paparone, Simona Zoppi, Cristina Marra, Renato Zanatta, Rosario Musumeci, Patrizia Robino and Patrizia Nebbia
Antibiotics 2026, 15(8), 732; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15080732 - 29 Jul 2026
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Although companion animals are recognized as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistant enterococci, it remains unclear whether antimicrobial resistance differs between clinical and commensal isolates, particularly for antimicrobials reserved for human medicine. This study compared antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of clinical and commensal E. faecalis [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Although companion animals are recognized as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistant enterococci, it remains unclear whether antimicrobial resistance differs between clinical and commensal isolates, particularly for antimicrobials reserved for human medicine. This study compared antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of clinical and commensal E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates from dogs and cats, focusing on antimicrobials reserved for human medicine under European regulation and EMA/AMEG classification. Methods: A total of 99 isolates (49 E. faecalis and 50 E. faecium) collected between 2022 and 2025 were analysed by broth microdilution, gradient diffusion, and disk diffusion methods. Antimicrobial resistance patterns were compared according to bacterial species and isolate origin. Results:E. faecium exhibited significantly higher resistance rates than E. faecalis, particularly to ampicillin, fluoroquinolones, erythromycin, nitrofurantoin, and vancomycin. Multidrug resistance was widespread, affecting all clinical E. faecium isolates and 72.2% of commensal E. faecium, whereas corresponding proportions in E. faecalis were 64.1% and 40.0%, respectively. Clinical E. faecium isolates showed significantly higher resistance than commensal isolates to antimicrobials commonly used in veterinary medicine, including ampicillin, fluoroquinolones, erythromycin, gentamicin, streptomycin, and tetracycline. Conversely, no significant differences were observed for antimicrobials reserved for human medicine, including linezolid, vancomycin, teicoplanin, tigecycline, daptomycin, rifampicin, and quinupristin/dalfopristin. Conclusions: The higher resistance observed in clinical isolates to veterinary antimicrobials is consistent with the selective pressure exerted by antimicrobial use in veterinary clinical settings, whereas resistance to human-reserved agents may reflect epidemiological processes that are independent of antimicrobial exposure in veterinary clinical settings. Continuous integrated One Health surveillance is essential to monitor the emergence and dissemination of these resistance phenotypes. The AMR profiles observed in companion animals further support the need for integrated One Health surveillance, combining veterinary, human, and environmental data to better understand the emergence and dissemination of resistant enterococci. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance in Veterinary Pathogens: Phenotypic Surveillance, Genomic Epidemiology, and Control Measures)
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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
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1365
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
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance in Veterinary Pathogens: Phenotypic Surveillance, Genomic Epidemiology, and Control Measures)
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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
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 836
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
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance in Veterinary Pathogens: Phenotypic Surveillance, Genomic Epidemiology, and Control Measures)
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