Antimicrobial Resistance of Foodborne Bacteria

Dear Colleagues,

Food products are increasingly recognized as important for the transfer of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) through as yet unexplained mechanisms to become a public health threat in the general population. Although zoonotic bacterial pathogens such as campylobacter, listeria and salmonella constitute well-recognized agents of food poisoning and direct threats to public health, less well known are the ARB and ARGs in pathogens and/or commensals in the food chain selected by clinically important antibiotics used in the production of food animals and aquaculture. ARB and ARGs may be further acquired from product or raw materials and spread in the food chain (especially in ‘ready to eat’ products) enabled by light (non-lethal) processing methods or cross-contamination during food processing/packaging.  Little is known however of the extent to which ARGs from food disseminate to other commensal or pathogenic bacteria before or after ingestion or the precise mechanism for specific bacteria to colonize the human gut. In addition, the effects of ARB and ARG transfer to human gut microbiota by adding various probiotics or lytic bacteriophages to food products is unknown.

We rely extensively on important well characterized physical or chemical processes to control zoonotic pathogens in food products and reduce risks of food poisoning, but little is understood of these long-established approaches. Therefore, research in this area is essential to enable the food sector to gain necessary awareness and insight into the issue, and thereby then able to make adjustments and take necessary additional steps in the food safety assurance practices required to also encompass the threat of ARB/ARGs.

Are the existing control measures sufficient to remove or reduce the transmission of a diverse range of ARB and ARGs? Have sufficient studies addressed this issue? Are there new technology platforms available to address the emerging challenges of antibiotic resistance of foodborne bacteria?   

This Special Issue invites articles on antimicrobial resistance including (but not limited to) the following topics:

• recent changes in antimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens or spoilage organisms;
• demonstrations of transfer of ARB/ARGs from food to humans;
• control of ARGs and/or ARBs from food animals or products by physical or chemical approaches;
• role of new technologies (bacteriophages/probiotics etc) to control antimicrobial resistant organisms in food animals and products.

Dr. Ron Dixon
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• antimicrobial-resistant foodborne bacteria
• antimicrobial resistance genes
• HGT
• bacteriophages
• probiotics
• in vivo and in vivo studies
• One Health