Virulence, Antimicrobial Resistance and Biofilm Production in Veterinary, Zoonotic and Food-Related Pathogens, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Antibiotics in Animal Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 1196

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Animal Health, Universidad de León, León, Spain
Interests: antimicrobial resistance; biofilm; genomics; microbiology; microbiome; veterinary pathogens; zoonosis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Teagasc Food Research Centre, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland
Interests: biofilm; fermented beverages; food-related pathogens; microbial dynamics; microbiome

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Guest Editor
Department of Animal Health, Universidad de León, León, Spain
Interests: antimicrobial resistance; biofilm; microbiology; porcine respiratory disease complex; vaccination
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The emergence and persistence of virulent, antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in veterinary and food-related environments pose significant threats to both animal and human health. This Special Issue aims to explore the complex interplay between virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, and biofilm production in veterinary, zoonotic, and food-related pathogens.

Understanding these interactions is critical for developing effective strategies to control infections, ensure food safety, and mitigate the spread of resistance. Contributions to this issue will encompass a range of topics, including the molecular mechanisms underlying virulence and resistance, the impact of biofilm formation on pathogen survival and treatment efficacy, and innovative approaches for detection and intervention.

By bringing together cutting-edge research from leading experts, this Special Issue seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of current challenges and advancements in the field. We aim to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and inspire new insights that can lead to improved therapeutic and preventative measures.

Through a deeper understanding of these critical aspects of pathogen biology, we hope to contribute to the development of more effective policies and practices that safeguard animal health, food security, and public health.

Dr. Óscar Mencía-Ares
Dr. Paula Fernández-Gómez
Dr. Sonia Martinez
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

  • animal health
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • biofilm
  • food-borne pathogens
  • microbiology
  • pathogenicity
  • public health
  • veterinary pathogens
  • virulence
  • zoonosis

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

24 pages, 2655 KB  
Review
Antimicrobial Resistance in Rhodococcus equi and the Promise of Synergistic Therapies
by Farzaneh Javadimarand, Pablo Castañera, Blanca Lorente-Torres, Negar Mortazavi, Jesús Llano-Verdeja, Sergio Fernández-Martínez, Helena Á. Ferrero, Luis M. Mateos, Álvaro Mourenza and Michal Letek
Antibiotics 2026, 15(3), 313; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15030313 - 19 Mar 2026
Viewed by 919
Abstract
Rhodococcus equi is an opportunistic intracellular pathogen responsible for severe pneumonia in foals and has emerged as an important cause of infection in immunocompromised humans. The treatment of R. equi infections in foals relies mainly on the combination of macrolides and rifampin. However, [...] Read more.
Rhodococcus equi is an opportunistic intracellular pathogen responsible for severe pneumonia in foals and has emerged as an important cause of infection in immunocompromised humans. The treatment of R. equi infections in foals relies mainly on the combination of macrolides and rifampin. However, the increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates has raised significant therapeutic challenges. The mechanisms underlying this resistance include mutations in target genes, activation of efflux pumps, and biofilm formation, which collectively compromise the efficacy of conventional antibiotics. Recently, growing concern over antibiotic failure has accelerated research into alternative and synergistic strategies to enhance antibacterial efficacy and reduce the development of resistance. Natural and synthetic compounds, as well as optimized antibiotic combinations, have shown promising synergistic effects by enhancing intracellular accumulation, disrupting redox homeostasis, or inhibiting efflux systems. Experimental models employing checkerboard and time-kill assays, as well as redox-sensitive biosensors, have demonstrated that certain antibiotic combinations can influence bacterial susceptibility to antibiotic exposure. Furthermore, integrating molecular tools provides valuable insight into bacterial responses to oxidative and antibiotic stress, paving the way for novel therapeutic designs. This review summarizes the current understanding of the molecular factors contributing to antimicrobial resistance in R. equi and assesses new therapeutic approaches aimed at overcoming these challenges. It highlights recent findings on strategies to improve treatment outcomes and manage antimicrobial resistance. Full article
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