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Antibiotics
Special Issues
Antimicrobial Resistance and One Health: Environmental Health, Food Safety, and...
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Antimicrobial Resistance and One Health: Environmental Health, Food Safety, and Practice of Health Professionals

A Special Issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 4584

Editors

Prof. Dr. Teresa Letra Mateus

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. CISAS—Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial de Nun’Àlvares, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal
2. Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS) Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
3. EpiUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), Rua das Taipas, nº 135, 4050-091 Porto, Portugal
Interests: One Health; food safety; health literacy; parasitology; zoonoses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Francisco Cortez Nunes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Interests: antimicrobial resistance; antimicrobial resistance genes; One Health; helicobacter infections; zoonoses

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is recognized as one of the greatest threats to human and animal health, with profound implications for food safety and environmental sustainability. As resistant microorganisms spread through food chains, agricultural systems, and ecosystems, a comprehensive One Health approach is essential for understanding and mitigating these risks.

Challenges persist in addressing AMR largely thanks to a need for greater awareness about good practices among human and veterinary health professionals and citizens, as well as the absence of harmonized surveillance systems across different sectors, which leads to a lack of comprehensive data. Without surveillance, the development and dissemination of resistance in zoonotic pathogens complicates both prevention and control strategies, as it is quite difficult to implement evidence-based measures to mitigate these risks.

This Special Issue will highlight recent advances in the intersection of AMR, food safety, environmental health, practice of health professionals, public awareness, and One Health. We welcome submissions discussing AMR and One Health, including multidisciplinary approaches and evidence-based policies. By bringing together veterinary, microbiological, environmental, and public health perspectives, this Special Issue will promote integrated solutions to reduce the global AMR burden.

Prof. Dr. Teresa Letra Mateus
Guest Editor

Dr. Francisco Cortez Nunes
Guest Editor Assistant

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

  • antibiotics
  • antibiotic resistance
  • guidelines compliance
  • health communication
  • One Health
  • public awareness

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

33 pages, 2843 KB  
Article
Cross-Sector Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence in Enterococcus spp. from Humans, Animals and the Environment
by Nicolau Fialho, Joana Monteiro Marques, Maria Teresa Barreto-Crespo and Teresa Semedo-Lemsaddek
Antibiotics 2026, 15(7), 657; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15070657 - 2 Jul 2026
Viewed by 914
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health concern requiring integrated surveillance across human, animal, and environmental sectors. Enterococcus spp. are widely distributed opportunistic bacteria with the capacity to acquire and disseminate resistance and virulence determinants. This study aimed to characterize species distribution, [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health concern requiring integrated surveillance across human, animal, and environmental sectors. Enterococcus spp. are widely distributed opportunistic bacteria with the capacity to acquire and disseminate resistance and virulence determinants. This study aimed to characterize species distribution, phenotypic antimicrobial resistance, resistance genes, and virulence-associated traits in Enterococcus spp. from One Health sources. Methods: Enterococci were recovered from 66 samples collected in Lisbon, Portugal, between late 2022 and early 2024, including healthy and sick humans, healthy and sick animals, canteen food, surface water, and public transport surfaces. RAPD-PCR was used to assess genetic diversity among 90 isolates and select 74 representative enterococci. Species identification, resistance gene screening, and virulence gene detection were performed by PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by disk diffusion against 12 antibiotics using CLSI criteria. Vancomycin resistance was further evaluated by agar dilution and Etest when applicable. Results: Enterococcus faecalis predominated, representing 63/74 isolates (85.1%), followed by Enterococcus faecium (5/74, 6.8%) and other Enterococcus spp. (6/74, 8.1%). Antibiotic resistance was detected across all One Health sectors. Sick Human isolates showed higher resistance than Healthy Human isolates. E. faecium showed higher resistance than E. faecalis, and all E. faecium isolates across sectors were multidrug-resistant. Rifampicin resistance was frequent, as was quinupristin-dalfopristin resistance (excluding intrinsically resistant E. faecalis), while linezolid resistance was not detected. Resistance and virulence determinants were distributed across sectors. Conclusions: Enterococci from human, animal, and environmental sources carried antimicrobial resistance and virulence-associated traits. These findings support integrated One Health surveillance to monitor resistant enterococci across interconnected reservoirs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance and One Health: Environmental Health, Food Safety, and Practice of Health Professionals)
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20 pages, 2475 KB  
Article
Occurrence and Characterization of Antimicrobial-Resistant and Virulent Enterococcus spp. in Dog Feces from Urban Green Spaces in Porto (Portugal)
by Jessica Ribeiro, Rui Lameiras, Vanessa Silva, Gilberto Igrejas, Francisco Cortez Nunes, Ana Isabel Ribeiro, Teresa Letra Mateus and Patrícia Poeta
Antibiotics 2026, 15(4), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15040379 - 8 Apr 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1254
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Enterococcus spp. are important indicators of AMR and potential opportunistic pathogens. Urban green spaces, frequented by dogs and humans, may serve as reservoirs for resistant bacteria. This study assessed the occurrence, AMR profiles, and virulence traits of Enterococcus spp. in dog [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Enterococcus spp. are important indicators of AMR and potential opportunistic pathogens. Urban green spaces, frequented by dogs and humans, may serve as reservoirs for resistant bacteria. This study assessed the occurrence, AMR profiles, and virulence traits of Enterococcus spp. in dog feces from urban green spaces in Porto (Portugal). Methods: In December 2023 and May 2024, 240 dog fecal samples were collected from 12 urban green spaces across Porto. Enterococcus spp. were isolated using selective culture, identified to species level, and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility following CLSI guidelines. PCR screening was performed for resistance genes (vanA, vanB, erm(A/B/C), vatD/E, tet(M/O/L/K)) and virulence genes (gelE, ace). Environmental and socioeconomic features, including vegetation density (NDVI), presence of water features, and neighborhood deprivation (EDI), were recorded to explore associations with bacterial occurrence and traits. Results: Thirty-two isolates were recovered, mainly E. faecium (n = 9) and E. faecalis (n = 7). High resistance rates were observed to tetracycline (56.3%) and quinupristin/dalfopristin (37.5%), with lower rates for vancomycin, teicoplanin, and ciprofloxacin (3.1%), and imipenem (6.3%). Tet(M) was the most prevalent resistance gene (40.6%), and gelE and ace were frequently detected, often co-occurring with resistance determinants. Distribution of resistance and virulence genes varied across green spaces, with widely used parks showing more isolates. Vegetation density and water features were not directly associated with bacterial recovery. Conclusions: Dog feces in urban green spaces contribute to localized AMR hotspots, acting as potential reservoirs of resistant and potentially pathogenic Enterococcus spp. These findings highlight the importance of One Health strategies for urban sanitation and AMR surveillance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance and One Health: Environmental Health, Food Safety, and Practice of Health Professionals)
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13 pages, 671 KB  
Article
Six-Year Environmental Surface Hygiene Monitoring in Hungarian School Kitchens (2019–2024): Hotspots, Seasonality, and One Health Implications
by András Bittsánszky, Lili A. Lukács, Márton Battay, Miklós Süth and András J. Tóth
Antibiotics 2026, 15(2), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15020120 - 26 Jan 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1616
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Institutional catering serves vulnerable populations, including schoolchildren. Surfaces in food preparation environments are key control points for food safety and reservoirs and transmission routes for antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria. This study characterized the hygienic status of food-contact surfaces (FCS) and non-food-contact surfaces [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Institutional catering serves vulnerable populations, including schoolchildren. Surfaces in food preparation environments are key control points for food safety and reservoirs and transmission routes for antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria. This study characterized the hygienic status of food-contact surfaces (FCS) and non-food-contact surfaces (NFCS) in Hungarian school kitchens, identified contamination hotspots, and examined how routine monitoring can support AMR prevention. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed routine environmental hygiene monitoring records from 96 school kitchens (2019–2024). In total, 8412 swab samples were collected, 8407 had quantifiable counts, 6233 from FCS (e.g., plates, trays, boards, utensils), and 2174 from NFCS (e.g., sinks, fridges, workers’ hands). Total aerobic mesophilic counts were measured with a redox-potential method and expressed as CFU/100 cm2; 250 CFU/100 cm2 (2.4 log10) was the hygienic threshold. Results: Overall, 12.4% of surfaces exceeded the threshold. Non-food-contact surfaces were more likely to be non-compliant than food-contact surfaces (OR 2.77, 95% CI 2.43–3.17; p < 0.001). Hotspots included transport-container lids (67.2% non-compliant; OR 43.82), sink basins (32.8%; OR 10.46), and cutting boards (21.6%; OR 5.89). Seasonally, non-compliance was highest in summer (16.5%) and lowest in winter (9.0%; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Multi-year monitoring revealed substantial contamination concentrated in a few hotspots that, within a One Health framework—which recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health—may represent environmental reservoirs and cross-contamination nodes relevant to AMR prevention. Targeted optimization of cleaning and disinfection for these surfaces, combined with trend analysis of indicator data and periodic AMR-focused environmental sampling, could reduce foodborne and AMR-related risks in public catering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance and One Health: Environmental Health, Food Safety, and Practice of Health Professionals)
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