Antibiotic Bans and Antimicrobial Resistance: Progress, Challenges, and Future Strategies

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Antibiotics Use and Antimicrobial Stewardship".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1105

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Engineering and Applied Technologies, Higher School of Technology, M’ghila Campus, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, BP: 591, Beni Mellal 23000, Morocco
Interests: antimicrobial resistance; foodborne pathogens; zoonotic pathogens; antibiotic alternatives; mobile genetic elements; food safety

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Preventive Veterinary Sciences, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Interests: bacterial pathogenesis and antibiotic resistance; bacterial genomics and omics data analysis; food safety and public health; pathogen-host-microbiota interactions; bacteria as drug for the therapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleague,

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing global health challenges of the 21st century, threatening the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents. In response, many countries and regions have implemented strategies to curb the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, including outright bans on their use in certain sectors, such as agriculture and veterinary medicine. While these bans aim to reduce the selective pressure driving AMR, their effectiveness and unintended consequences remain poorly understood.

This Special Issue will explore the impact of antibiotic use bans on the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. We invite original articles, reviews, and case studies that delve into key topics such as the following:

  • Trends in antimicrobial resistance post-antibiotic bans;
  • Effectiveness of antibiotic bans in different sectors (healthcare, veterinary, agriculture, and food industry);
  • Mechanisms of resistance persistence despite antibiotic restrictions;
  • Alternative strategies for infection control and disease prevention;
  • Impact of antibiotic bans on microbiome composition in humans, animals, and the environment;
  • Regulatory frameworks and policy evaluations on antibiotic use;
  • Comparative studies between countries with and without antibiotic restrictions.

By bringing together diverse perspectives, this Special Issue will provide a comprehensive assessment of the successes and limitations of antibiotic use bans, offering evidence-based insights to guide future policy decisions and interventions in the fight against AMR.

Prof. Dr. Abdelaziz Ed-Dra
Prof. Dr. Min Yue
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • impact of antibiotic bans
  • antibiotic use
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • antibiotic restrictions

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

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

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

25 pages, 2478 KiB  
Article
Off-Label Use of Antibiotics in Small Animal Medicine—A Germany-Wide Anonymous Online Survey
by Marie Tarillion, Robert Hertzsch and Angelika Richter
Antibiotics 2025, 14(4), 419; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14040419 - 21 Apr 2025
Viewed by 223
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Since 28 January 2022, veterinary medicinal products (VMPs) must be used in accordance with the conditions of the marketing authorisation (Regulation (EU) 2019/6, Article 106). This entails further restrictions on therapeutic freedom, for example, with regard to dose deviations. Off-label use is [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Since 28 January 2022, veterinary medicinal products (VMPs) must be used in accordance with the conditions of the marketing authorisation (Regulation (EU) 2019/6, Article 106). This entails further restrictions on therapeutic freedom, for example, with regard to dose deviations. Off-label use is any use of a product that deviates from the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPCs). To date, there are no data available on the type and extent of off-label use on the basis of which the feasibility of the new regulation in Germany can be assessed. Methods: Therefore, a Germany-wide anonymous online survey was conducted as a quantitative cross-sectional study comprising 196 questions according to off-label use in dogs and cats. Results: In quantitative terms, the survey was representative of 358 participants but limited due to the demographic characteristics of the participants. A total of 91.3% (326/357) veterinarians stated that they had used antibiotics off-label. Fusidic acid, chloramphenicol, tylosin, and florfenicol were most frequently reclassified with regard to animal species. Authorised drugs for cats and dogs such as amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, doxycycline, metronidazole, and fluoroquinolones, like enrofloxacin and marbofloxacin, were also used off-label, often with regard to indication and treatment duration. Conclusions: Although there are comparatively many antibacterial preparations available for cats and dogs, off-label use is common practice. In many cases, special circumstances of the individual case justify the off-label use of authorised preparations for cats and dogs. The survey results indicate that some dose revisions are recommended. Guidance for specific indications in cats and dogs could contribute to greater legal certainty in small animal practice with regard to the justification of off-label use. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop