Antimicrobial Resistance in Foodborne Pathogens: Surveillance, Mechanisms and Mitigation Strategies

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Antimicrobial Agents and Resistance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 467

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Av. da Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: microbiology; food safety; foodborne pathogens; pathogenesis; antibiotic resistance
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to be one of the most important challenges in public health, food production, and animal health. Foodborne pathogens play a key role in the spread of resistance, acting as indicators of antimicrobial use in agriculture and as possible carriers of resistance genes across different environments. In recent years, concerns have grown over the presence of resistant bacteria in the food chain, especially in the context of the One Health concept, which highlights the close links between human, animal, and environmental health.

This Special Issue invites contributions that help expand our knowledge of AMR in foodborne pathogens—from how resistance emerges and spreads to how it can be monitored and controlled. We welcome original research articles, short communications, and reviews that explore resistance mechanisms, trends in foodborne bacteria, and practical ways to reduce AMR. Studies involving food-producing animals, food processing environments, or retail food products are particularly relevant. We are especially interested in work that applies a One Health approach or includes data from underrepresented regions or production systems.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Molecular studies and genomic analysis of AMR in foodborne bacteria (e.g., Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, Escherichia coli);
  • New or improved methods for detecting and tracking AMR in food, animals, or the production environment;
  • The role of mobile genetic elements (e.g., plasmids, integrons, transposons) in spreading resistance genes;
  • Links between antimicrobial use in veterinary medicine and the development of resistance in foodborne pathogens;
  • Integrated surveillance systems and cross-sectoral monitoring of AMR in line with the One Health framework;
  • How food processing, hygiene practices, and storage affect resistant bacteria in food;
  • Mitigation measures to control or reduce AMR along the food chain;
  • Studies on resistant bacteria found in retail foods and their possible impact on public health;
  • AMR in fermented, artisanal, or traditional food products: challenges and knowledge gaps.

Dr. Teresa Semedo-Lemsaddek
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • antimicrobial resistance
  • foodborne pathogens
  • One Health
  • AMR surveillance
  • mobile genetic elements
  • antimicrobial usage
  • food safety
  • mitigation strategies

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 1057 KB  
Communication
Toxigenic and Antibiotic-Resistant Bacillus cereus in Raw Cow Milk from Eastern Cape, South Africa: A Potential Public Health Threat
by Ezekiel Green and Abraham Goodness Ogofure
Microorganisms 2025, 13(10), 2253; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13102253 - 25 Sep 2025
Viewed by 320
Abstract
Bacillus cereus sensu lato is widespread and causes significant food spoilage that alters the flavour and structure of milk. The present study investigated the prevalence, enterotoxigenic genes, and resistant profiles of B. cereus strains isolated from raw milk of Bos taurus in South [...] Read more.
Bacillus cereus sensu lato is widespread and causes significant food spoilage that alters the flavour and structure of milk. The present study investigated the prevalence, enterotoxigenic genes, and resistant profiles of B. cereus strains isolated from raw milk of Bos taurus in South Africa (the Eastern Cape Province). One thousand four hundred samples were obtained from commercial dairy farms and were evaluated for the presence of B. cereus using B. cereus selective agar, and genomic DNA was isolated from B. cereus colonies with specific characteristics. PCR was used to evaluate the presence of enterotoxigenic genes, and antibacterial susceptibility was carried out using the Kirby-Bauer Disc diffusion method. The result revealed that B. cereus was detected in 250 raw milk samples. In addition, 67.2% of the isolates grew when incubated at 4 °C. Among the enterotoxigenic genes studied, ces showed the highest occurrence (88.8%), but hblABC (0%) did not demonstrate amplification from any isolate. Our analysis found two significant patterns (III and V): nheABC-entFM (27.2% and 24.4%) and the ces gene. Total (100%) sensitivity was observed for six of the twelve antibiotics tested, while organisms showed complete resistance to penicillin and rifampicin. This study marks the initial documentation of B. cereus and its enterotoxigenic genes in Bos taurus raw milk sourced from the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Enterotoxin FM should be considered the second most crucial enterotoxin, after non-hemolytic enterotoxin, and should be included in the molecular approach used to classify pathogenic B. cereus in nutrimental products. These findings underscore the urgent need for public health awareness, particularly in rural communities where raw milk consumption is prevalent. The high prevalence of antibiotic resistance and toxigenic strains of B. cereus calls for improved milk pasteurization practices to mitigate the risk of foodborne illness. Full article
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