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Epidemiology and Molecular Pathogenesis of Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence for...
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Epidemiology and Molecular Pathogenesis of Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence for Foodborne Pathogens: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 2861

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yasser Sanad

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, School of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Human Sciences, University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff, AR 71601, USA
Interests: veterinary preventive medicine; molecular epidemiology; one health; food safety; antimicrobial resistance; virulence; zoonotic diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Steven Foley

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Microbiology, National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR), US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
Interests: antimicrobial resistance; virulence; foodborne pathogens
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mohamed K. Fakhr

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biological Science, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
Interests: molecular microbiology of foodborne bacterial pathogens; molecular mechanisms of antimicrobial and heavy metals resistance; molecular characterization of bacterial plasmids; bacterial genomics and transcriptomics; secondary metabolites and diversity of actinomycetes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Foodborne diseases are an important public health problem worldwide and have an important impact on trade, travel, and development. Globally, foodborne diseases are still not under control, and outbreaks can cause health problems and economic losses. The causes are unhygienic practices in food production, harvesting, and preparation. There are several foodborne pathogens causing diseases, among which the significant ones are Campylobacter, Nontyphoidal salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Colostredium, and Listeria.

These foodborne agents can enter the food chain through multiple sources, some of which could be through cross contamination during food production or processing. Moreover, most agents can be transmitted via routes other than food, including water, farm animals, pets, and/or humans. Determining the source of foodborne infections could be challenging because of the incubation period after exposure to infection, and the most recently consumed food may be mistakenly suspected. In addition, source tracking of the foodborne causative agent might be difficult due to the unavailability of the suspected food source for further analysis. Thus, molecular typing of agents isolated from cases spread over a wide geographic area is another way to determine the source of foodborne infection.

Furthermore, the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious global public health threat as well as a threat to animal health and food safety. There are diverse mechanisms that promote drug resistance. It is known that the use of sub-therapeutic doses of antibiotics in humans or food-producing animals promotes mutations of some chromosomal genes. Also, the horizontal transfer of resistance genes as groups (“cassettes”) or plasmids makes the spread of resistance to different bacterial genera possible, among which there could be pathogens. Further molecular characterization studies and whole-genomic sequence analyses of variable foodborne pathogens to identify their plasmid content and assess antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors should lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of AMR and virulence factors.

With the development and wide application of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in recent studies over the last decade, there have been many advances in the understanding of microbial genetics. However, further epidemiological and molecular pathogensis studies are still warranted to develop a better understanding of the natural history of different foodborne pathogens and their virulence and AMR mechanisms.

Despite several published research studies investigating foodborne outbreaks as well as the implemented intervention strategies to control them, many people are still getting sick, and more outbreaks are happening. To prevent similar outbreaks from happening in the future, further studies are imperative to assess in depth and determine the steps and trends necessary to contain future outbreaks.

This Special Issue will cover a wide range of topics focusing on the epidemiology and molecular pathogenesis of AMR and the virulence of different foodborne pathogens. The aim is to help enhance our current knowledge of these pathogens and their respective diseases.

All types of articles will be considered for publication, including short reports, primary research articles, and reviews.

We look forward to receiving your contribution.

Dr. Yasser Sanad
Dr. Steven Foley
Dr. Mohamed K. Fakhr
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Salmonella
  • Campylobacter
  • Listeria
  • Verbrio
  • Eschrishia coli
  • STEC
  • Colostredium
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • virulence
  • plasmids
  • invasion
  • persistence
  • whole-genome sequences (WGS)
  • molecular epidemiology
  • epidemiology

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

16 pages, 295 KiB  
Review
Methods of Controlling Microbial Contamination of Food
by Renata Urban-Chmiel, Jacek Osek and Kinga Wieczorek
Pathogens 2025, 14(5), 492; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14050492 - 16 May 2025
Viewed by 241
Abstract
The rapid growth of world population and increase in living standards have led to an increase in the demand for high-quality, safe food. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that by 2050 the demand for food will increase [...] Read more.
The rapid growth of world population and increase in living standards have led to an increase in the demand for high-quality, safe food. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that by 2050 the demand for food will increase by 60%, and production of animal protein will increase by 1.7% a year, with meat production to increase by nearly 70%, dairy products by 55%, and aquaculture by as much as 90%. Microbial contamination of food is a significant problem for the accessibility of safe food which does not pose a threat to the life and health of consumers. Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Yersinia are responsible for thousands of food-borne infections in humans. Currently, numerous programs are being developed to combat pathogenic bacteria in the food supply chain, especially at the primary production stage. These approaches include physical, chemical, biological, and other strategies and methods used to inhibit the bacterial growth of bacteria or completely eliminate the pathogens from the food chain. Therefore, an extremely important goal is to provide safe food and control its quality by eliminating pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. However, the use of chemicals in food preservation has negative effects for both the consumption values of food and the natural environment. Therefore, it seems absolutely necessary to implement measures utilizing the most environmentally friendly and effective techniques for controlling microbial contamination in food. There is a great need to develop ecological methods in food production which guarantee adequate safety. One of these methods is the use of bacteriophages (bacterial viruses) naturally occurring in the environment. Given the above, the aim of this study was to present the most natural, ecological, and alternative methods of food preservation with regard to the most common foodborne zoonotic bacteria. We also present methods for reducing the occurrence of microbial contamination in food, thus to produce maximally safe food for consumers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology and Molecular Pathogenesis of Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence for Foodborne Pathogens: 2nd Edition)
15 pages, 538 KiB  
Review
Comprehensive Insights into Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 in Dairy Cattle: Transmission Dynamics, Milk-Borne Risks, Public Health Implications, Biosecurity Recommendations, and One Health Strategies for Outbreak Control
by Henrietta Owusu and Yasser M. Sanad
Pathogens 2025, 14(3), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14030278 - 13 Mar 2025
Viewed by 2204
Abstract
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has been traditionally linked to poultry and wild birds, which has recently become a serious concern for dairy cattle, causing outbreaks all over the United States. The need for improved surveillance, biosecurity protocols, and interagency collaboration is [...] Read more.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has been traditionally linked to poultry and wild birds, which has recently become a serious concern for dairy cattle, causing outbreaks all over the United States. The need for improved surveillance, biosecurity protocols, and interagency collaboration is highlighted by the discovery of H5N1 in dairy herds in several states and its human transmission. The epidemiology, transmission dynamics, and wide-ranging effects of H5N1 in cattle are reviewed in this paper, with particular attention paid to the disease’s effects on agricultural systems, public health, and animal health. Nonspecific clinical symptoms, such as decreased milk production and irregular milk consistency, are indicative of infection in dairy cows. Alarmingly, significant virus loads have been discovered in raw milk, raising worries about potential zoonotic transmission. The dangers of viral spillover between species are further highlighted by cases of domestic cats experiencing severe neurological symptoms after ingesting raw colostrum and milk from infected cows. Even though human cases remain rare, and they are mostly related to occupational exposure, constant attention is required due to the possibility of viral adaptability. The necessity of a One Health approach that integrates environmental, animal, and human health efforts is further supported by the broad occurrence of H5N1 across multiple species. For early detection, containment, and mitigation, cooperation between veterinary clinics, public health organizations, and agricultural stakeholders is crucial. Controlling the outbreak requires stringent movement restrictions, regular testing of dairy cows in reference labs, and adherence to biosecurity procedures. This review highlights the importance of thorough and coordinated efforts to manage H5N1 in dairy cattle by combining existing knowledge and pointing out gaps in surveillance and response strategies. Additionally, it sheds light on the potential risk of consumption of cow’s milk contaminated with H5N1 virus by humans and other companion animals like cats. In the face of this changing threat, proactive monitoring, strict biosecurity protocols, and cross-sector cooperation are crucial for reducing financial losses and protecting human and animal health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology and Molecular Pathogenesis of Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence for Foodborne Pathogens: 2nd Edition)
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