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Characteristics of Microorganisms Colonizing Animals and Alternative Methods of Infection Control in the Light of the “One Health” Concept

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2025 | Viewed by 2729

Special Issue Editor

Department of Veterinary Prevention and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
Interests: veterinary microbiology; bacteriology; antimicrobial susceptibility; probiotics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

“One Health” is an integrated unifying approach that aims to achieve optimal health outcomes while recognizing the interconnectedness of people, animals, plants, and their shared environment. The assumptions of this concept are close to microbiologists who understand the role microorganisms play in human and animal health. The knowledge about bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses inhabiting animals is particularly important in times of intensification of animal production and the resulting greater susceptibility of animals to infectious diseases. Of particular concern are multidrug-resistant zoonotic pathogens, which pose a global threat, causing infections that are difficult to treat and can even lead to death. Monitoring the occurrence of resistant strains of bacteria and fungi in animals, combined with elucidating resistance mechanisms and transmission routes, is the basis for developing preventive measures. The second important issue of the "One Health" concept is improving the health of animals and controlling their infections through the use of alternative methods. Probiotics, postbiotics, bacteriophages, and natural substances other than antibiotics are becoming more and more common in animal breeding. We welcome manuscripts on the comprehensive characterization of microorganisms from livestock and companion and wild animals, as well as from food of animal origin, with a special focus on zoonotic pathogens. Research on new methods for controlling bacterial, fungal, protozoan, and viral infections in animals is also welcomed.

Dr. Marta Dec
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • zoonotic pathogens
  • virulence traits
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • molecular environment of resistance genes
  • whole-genome sequencing
  • microbiome
  • probiotics
  • alternative methods of combating pathogens in animals

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 3976 KiB  
Article
Serotypes, Antimicrobial Susceptibility, and Potential Mechanisms of Resistance Gene Transfer in Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae Strains from Waterfowl in Poland
by Marta Dec, Tomasz Nowak, John Webster and Karolina Wódz
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(22), 12192; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252212192 - 13 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1509
Abstract
Erysipelas is a significant problem in the waterfowl farming in Poland, and information on the characteristics of the Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae strains causing this disease is limited. In this study, we determined the serotypes, antimicrobial susceptibility, and potential mechanisms of resistance gene transfer in [...] Read more.
Erysipelas is a significant problem in the waterfowl farming in Poland, and information on the characteristics of the Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae strains causing this disease is limited. In this study, we determined the serotypes, antimicrobial susceptibility, and potential mechanisms of resistance gene transfer in E. rhusiopathiae isolates (n = 60) from domestic geese and ducks. We also developed a multiplex PCR for the detection of resistance genes. The antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates was assessed using the broth microdilution method. Resistance genes, integrative conjugative element (ICE)-specific genes, phage-specific genes, and serotype determinants were detected by PCR. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed for selected resistant strains. The comparative analyses included 260 E. rhusiopathiae strains whose whole genome sequences (WGSs) are publicly available. E. rhusiopathiae isolates represented 7 serotypes, among which serotypes 5 (38.3%) and 1b (28.3%) were the most common. All strains were susceptible to β-lactams, and the vast majority of them were resistant to tetracycline (85%) and enrofloxacin (80%). The percentages of isolates resistant to other antimicrobials used ranged from 3.3% to 16.7%. Ten isolates (16.7%) were found to be multidrug resistant (MDR). The genotypic resistance profiles of the E. rhusiopathiae strains corresponded to their phenotypic resistance, and the amplification patterns obtained using the 10-plex PCR developed in this study were fully consistent with the results of single PCRs. The most prevalent resistance gene was tetM. In enrofloxacin-resistant strains, nonsynonymous mutations in the gyrA and parC genes were identified. The presence of ICE-specific genes was confirmed in resistant strains, and in MDR isolates of serotype 8 that represented sequence type (ST) 113, prophage DNA (Javan630-like) linked to the lsaE gene was additionally detected. The results indicate that β-lactam antibiotics should be the first choice for the treatment of waterfowl erysipelas in Poland. ICEs, including a transposon from the Tn916/Tn1545 family, and bacteriophages are most likely responsible for the transfer of resistance genes in E. rhusiopathiae. Full article
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