Virulence Factors and Antibiotic Resistance of Enterobacterales: Third Edition

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a continuation of our 2023 Special Issue "Virulence Factors and Antibiotic Resistance of Enterobacterales 2.0".

The heterogeneous group of Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli and non-Escherichia coli Enterobacterales (e.g., Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Citrobacter), which can colonize the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals and persist as gut commensals without inducing any infections in the environment with balanced microbiota (colonization resistance), also harbor features responsible for virulence and pathogenicity, including “fitness factors” or phenotypes that may result in severe health concerns such as biofilm formation and/or multidrug resistance. Pathogenic Enterobacterales isolated from infected patients are the most often investigated; however, fecal isolates from healthy subjects including food, companion, and wild animals and/or food or environmental strains should be a more frequent target, aiming to determine the pathogenic potential of a wider biodiversity reservoir.

This Special Issue invites researchers interested in Enterobacterales characterization concerning the presence of genes associated with virulence (adhesins; surface cellulose structures and curli; siderophores, e.g., enterobactin, aerobactin, and yersiniabactin; protectines; invasins or toxins), and bacterial-biofilm-associated phenotypes. Although not directly involved in pathogenicity, the acquisition of multiple antibiotic resistances strongly supports the success of opportunistic Enterobacterales pathogens in invasion, survival, and spread, and markedly complicates the treatment of infections. Not only pathogens but also commensal bacteria, considered harmless and part of the normal microbiota, are exposed to selection pressure and can be a reservoir of mobile genetic elements carrying antibiotic resistance genes. Therefore, the occurrence of drug-resistant bacteria within a commensal population and the possibility to exchange genetic material through horizontal gene transfer may represent a major health concern. Research papers, up-to-date review articles, and commentaries dealing with resistance, virulence, and biofilm in Enterobacterales are all welcome.

Dr. Dobroslava Bujňáková
Prof. Dr. Ivana Ćirković
Guest Editors

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• Enterobacterales
• virulence factors
• antibiotic resistance
• biofilm
• healthy and sick animals
• commensal and pathogenic bacteria