Antibiotic Resistance in Bacterial Isolates of Animal Origin

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 March 2026 | Viewed by 828

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębowa 25, 80-204 Gdańsk, Poland
Interests: biofilm; antibiotic resistance; heterogenic resistance; host-microbiome balance; virulence factor

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Guest Editor
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębowa 25, 80-204 Gdańsk, Poland
Interests: antibiotic-resistance; virulence potential; Staphylococus aureus; bacteriophages

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The increasing antibiotic resistance in bacterial isolates from animals is critical threat of  animal health, food safety, and public health. Microorganisms such as Salmonella enterica, Campylobacter jejuni, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and strains of Staphylococcus aureus are commonly detected in farm animals, companion species, and wildlife. The intensive use of antibiotics in agriculture exerts strong selection pressure, driving the emergence and multiplication of resistant strains. Resistance mechanisms commonly include the production of β-lactamases (e.g., extended-spectrum β-lactamases), the alteration of the antibiotic receptor, or the overexpression of the efflux pump, and are based on mutations in the bacterial genome or the acquisition of resistance genes through conjugation, transduction, or transformation processes.

Antibiotic-resistant strains are transmitted from animals to humans in a variety of ways: through the consumption of contaminated meat or other animal food products, through direct contact with animals, or through exposure to the environment. Such  isolates can cause infections in humans that are extremally difficult to treat. This is why addressing antibiotic resistance requires a One Health approach, a strategy that encompasses actions for human health, animal health, and a healthy environment. This includes reducing the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in farm animals, improving hygiene and biosecurity on farms, promoting the surveillance of antibiotic resistance markers in animal populations, and fostering cooperation between the veterinary and public health sectors. Such integrated measures are essential to slow down the spread of resistance genes and protect both animal welfare and public health.

We are delighted to invite you, as a recognised expert in your field, to share your unique insights and contribute to the current Special Issue with research on the spread of antibiotic resistance in the human environment.

Dr. Tomasz Jarzembowski
Dr. Lidia Piechowicz
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • zoonotic infection
  • resistance genes
  • “one health concept”
  • Salmonella enterica
  • Campylobacter jejuni
  • enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
  • Enterococcus faecalis

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1352 KB  
Article
First Detection of Critical Carbapenemase Genes (NDM, OXA-48, VIM) in Avian Campylobacter spp. Isolates in Tunisia: A Zoonotic and Public Health Concern
by Manel Gharbi, Mohammed Abdo Saghir Abbas, Chadlia Hamdi, Safa Hamrouni and Abderrazak Maaroufi
Antibiotics 2025, 14(12), 1236; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14121236 - 8 Dec 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: The global emergence of carbapenem resistance is a major public health concern. Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, key zoonotic agents causing human campylobacteriosis, are mainly isolated from poultry, their primary host. Their increasing resistance in animals and humans highlights the [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The global emergence of carbapenem resistance is a major public health concern. Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, key zoonotic agents causing human campylobacteriosis, are mainly isolated from poultry, their primary host. Their increasing resistance in animals and humans highlights the risk of gene transfer. This study investigates the molecular mechanisms of carbapenem resistance in 287 avian Campylobacter spp. isolates from Tunisia within a One Health approach. Methods: Antibiotic susceptibility of 287 carbapenem-resistant isolates, including 147 C. jejuni and 140 C. coli, was determined according to CLSI. All isolates were screened by PCR for genes encoding the most reported carbapenemases, including VIM, IMP, NDM and OXA-48. Eleven multidrug-resistant (MDR)/carbapenem-resistant C. coli isolates were selected to determine their clonal lineage by Multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Results: All isolates were susceptible to imipenem, but resistance to meropenem and ertapenem were observed in 60.71% and 35.71% of C. coli isolates, respectively, versus 13.6% in C. jejuni for each antibiotic. The blaVIM, blaNDM and blaOXA-48 genes were detected in 15, 8, and 19 of the 20 C. jejuni isolates, respectively. However, for C. coli, 53, 12, and 15 isolates harbored blaVIM, blaNDM and blaOXA-48 genes, respectively. The eleven (MDR)/carbapenem-resistant C. coli isolates belonged to a unique ST sequence type ST13450. Conclusions: We report for the first time the emergence of blaVIM, blaNDM, and blaOXA-48 genes in Campylobacter spp. isolates of poultry origin highlighting possible horizontal transfer of these genes to pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria of the poultry’s microbiota. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotic Resistance in Bacterial Isolates of Animal Origin)
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23 pages, 763 KB  
Article
Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus CC1 and CC1660 of Human and Equine Origin
by Johanna Jahnen, Christiane Cuny, Wolfgang Witte, Ralf Ehricht, Stefan Monecke, Dennis Hanke, Tanja Ahrens, Marta Leal, Sofia S. Costa, Isabel Couto, Stefan Schwarz and Andrea T. Feßler
Antibiotics 2025, 14(11), 1082; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14111082 - 27 Oct 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Staphylococcus aureus isolates from humans and horses of the equine-associated clonal complexes (CCs) CC1 and CC1660 were comparatively investigated for their genomic relationships. Methods: A total of 91 S. aureus isolates (64 human, 27 equine) were subjected to whole-genome sequencing [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Staphylococcus aureus isolates from humans and horses of the equine-associated clonal complexes (CCs) CC1 and CC1660 were comparatively investigated for their genomic relationships. Methods: A total of 91 S. aureus isolates (64 human, 27 equine) were subjected to whole-genome sequencing (WGS), sequence analysis, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Results: WGS confirmed 75 CC1 and 16 CC1660 isolates, comprising nine sequence types (STs) in CC1 and four STs in CC1660. Ten spa types were present in CC1 and five in CC1660. In the arcC gene of three CC1 isolates, a 285 bp deletion was detected, and a nucleotide deletion causing a premature stop codon was found in one CC1660 isolate. Core genome (cg) MLST revealed a minimum difference of 1398/1492 alleles between the two CCs. All CC1 isolates harbored agr group III and capsule type 8 alleles, whereas all CC1660 isolates had agr group II and capsule type 5 alleles. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed 18 phenotypic and 19 genotypic resistance patterns. All isolates were susceptible to vancomycin, linezolid and quinupristin–dalfopristin. Several virulence genes were detected in different combinations. The equine leukocidin genes lukP/lukQ were found in 22 isolates from horses and 38 isolates from humans, of which 35 had confirmed contact with horses. No Panton–Valentine leukocidin genes were found. Three human CC1660 isolates carried the toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 gene tst-1. Conclusions: The analysis of the 91 isolates might suggest intra- and interspecies transmission among and between humans and horses, which should be monitored in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotic Resistance in Bacterial Isolates of Animal Origin)
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