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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 14400

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Prof. Dr. Aloysio de Mello Figueiredo Cerqueira

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Laboratory of Enteropathogens, Veterinary, Food and Environmental Microbiology (LEMA), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Fluminense Federal University (UFF), Niterói 24210-130, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Interests: virulence; antimicrobial resistance; enteropathogens; Escherichia coli pathotypes; One Health

Prof. Dr. Júlia Peixoto Albuquerque

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Laboratory of Enteropathogens, Veterinary, Food and Environmental Microbiology (LEMA), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Fluminense Federal University (UFF), Niterói 24210-130, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Interests: antimicrobial resistance; bacterial virulence; environmental microbiology; microbial ecology; One Health

Prof. Dr. Renata Fernandes Rabello

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Laboratory of Gram Positive Cocci (LCGP), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Fluminense Federal University (UFF), Niterói 24210-130, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Interests: virulence; antimicrobial resistance; molecular epidemiology; gram positive cocci; bovine mastitis; medical and veterinary microbiology; One Health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The twentieth century was the golden age of antibiotics discovery, with large production and applicability and a consequent reduction in the exorbitant morbidity and mortality caused by bacterial infections. However, the intense use of these drugs over the years has led to the worldwide selection and dissemination of multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB). MDRBs have also been increasingly reported in different animal species, varying according to geographic area and the source of isolation, with genetic lineages suggesting interspecies transmission. Resistance genes selected by antibiotic use in animals can also be transferred to susceptible bacteria, contributing to the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Thus, antibiotic use in animals can have consequences ranging from economic losses to public health threats. Several strategies have been proposed to combat AMR with a One Health approach, and studies in different areas, especially covering veterinary microbiology, are essential to support these initiatives. Therefore, this Special Issue welcomes submissions of original research articles/reviews on the prevalence, characterization, and epidemiology of MDRB isolated from animals; the antimicrobial activity of new drugs for veterinary use; the evaluation of methods for the AMR detection of strains of animal origin; as well as submissions clarifying the impact of the veterinary use of antibiotics on public health.

Prof. Dr. Aloysio de Mello Figueiredo Cerqueira
Prof. Dr. Júlia Peixoto Albuquerque
Prof. Dr. Renata Fernandes Rabello
Guest Editors

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Keywords

antibacterial agents
antimicrobial resistance
epidemiology
genomics
animals
one health
antimicrobial sensitivity tests

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1068 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonizing Pigs and Farm Workers in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil: Potential Interspecies Transmission of Livestock-Associated MRSA (LA-MRSA) ST398

by Joana Talim, Ianick Martins, Cassio Messias, Hellen Sabino, Laura Oliveira, Tatiana Pinto, Julia Albuquerque, Aloysio Cerqueira, Ítalo Dolores, Beatriz Moreira, Renato Silveira, Felipe Neves and Renata Rabello

Antibiotics 2024, 13(8), 767; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13080767 - 14 Aug 2024

Viewed by 1025

Abstract

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Staphylococcus aureus has been increasingly isolated from pigs and people in close contact with them, especially livestock-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (LA-MRSA). In this cross-sectional study, we investigated S. aureus colonization in pigs and farm workers, their resistance profile, and genetic background to estimate interspecies transmission potential within farms from Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, between 2014 and 2019. We collected nasal swabs from 230 pigs and 27 workers from 16 and 10 farms, respectively. Five MDR strains were subjected to whole genome sequencing. Fourteen (6.1%) pigs and seven (25.9%) humans were colonized with S. aureus, mostly (64–71%) MDR strains. Resistance to clindamycin, erythromycin, penicillin, and tetracycline was the most common among the pig and human strains investigated. MDR strains shared several resistance genes [blaZ, dfrG, fexA, lsa(E), and tet(M)]. Pig and human strains recovered from the same farm shared the same genetic background and antimicrobial resistance profile. LA-MRSA ST398-SCCmecV-t011 was isolated from pigs in two farms and from a farm worker in one of them, suggesting interspecies transmission. The association between pig management practices and MDR S. aureus colonization might be investigated in additional studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Antibiotics in Animals and Antimicrobial Resistance)

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21 pages, 5155 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antibiotic Cocktail Effects on Intestinal Microbial Community, Barrier Function, and Immune Function in Early Broiler Chickens

by Waseem Abbas, Ruichen Bi, Muhammad Dilshad Hussain, Alia Tajdar, Fangshen Guo, Yuming Guo and Zhong Wang

Antibiotics 2024, 13(5), 413; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13050413 - 30 Apr 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2192

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of an antibiotic cocktail on intestinal microbial composition, mechanical barrier structure, and immune functions in early broilers. One-day-old healthy male broiler chicks were treated with a broad-spectrum antibiotic cocktail (ABX; neomycin, ampicillin, metronidazole, vancomycin, and kanamycin, 0.5 g/L each) or not in drinking water for 7 and 14 days, respectively. Sequencing of 16S rRNA revealed that ABX treatment significantly reduced relative Firmicutes, unclassified Lachnospiraceae, unclassified Oscillospiraceae, Ruminococcus torques, and unclassified Ruminococcaceae abundance in the cecum and relative Firmicutes, Lactobacillus and Baccillus abundance in the ileum, but significantly increased richness (Chao and ACE indices) and relative Enterococcus abundance in the ileum and cecum along with relatively enriched Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Enterococcus levels in the ileum following ABX treatment for 14 days. ABX treatment for 14 days also significantly decreased intestinal weight and length, along with villus height (VH) and crypt depth (CD) of the small intestine, and remarkably increased serum LPS, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IgG levels, as well as intestinal mucosa DAO and MPO activity. Moreover, prolonged use of ABX significantly downregulated occludin, ZO-1, and mucin 2 gene expression, along with goblet cell numbers in the ileum. Additionally, chickens given ABX for 14 days had lower acetic acid, butyric acid, and isobutyric acid content in the cecum than the chickens treated with ABX for 7 days and untreated chickens. Spearman correlation analysis found that those decreased potential beneficial bacteria were positively correlated with gut health-related indices, while those increased potential pathogenic strains were positively correlated with gut inflammation and gut injury-related parameters. Taken together, prolonged ABX application increased antibiotic-resistant species abundance, induced gut microbiota dysbiosis, delayed intestinal morphological development, disrupted intestinal barrier function, and perturbed immune response in early chickens. This study provides a reliable lower-bacteria chicken model for further investigation of the function of certain beneficial bacteria in the gut by fecal microbiota transplantation into germ-free or antibiotic-treated chickens. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Antibiotics in Animals and Antimicrobial Resistance)

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13 pages, 2164 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Detection of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL)-Producing Enterobacteriaceae from Diseased Broiler Chickens in Lusaka District, Zambia

by Chikwanda Chileshe, Misheck Shawa, Nelson Phiri, Joseph Ndebe, Cynthia Sipho Khumalo, Chie Nakajima, Masahiro Kajihara, Hideaki Higashi, Hirofumi Sawa, Yasuhiko Suzuki, Walter Muleya and Bernard Mudenda Hang’ombe

Antibiotics 2024, 13(3), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13030259 - 15 Mar 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2092

Abstract

Poultry products in Zambia form an integral part of the human diet in many households, as they are cheap and easy to produce. The burden of poultry diseases has, however, remained a major challenge. Growing consumer demand for poultry products in Zambia has resulted in non-prudent antimicrobial use on farms, intending to prevent and treat poultry diseases for growth optimisation and maximising profits. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the different types of bacteria causing diseases in chickens in Lusaka and to detect the extended-spectrum lactamase (ESBL)-encoding genes. We collected 215 samples from 91 diseased chickens at three post-mortem facilities and screened them for Gram-negative bacteria. Of these samples, 103 tested positive for various clinically relevant Enterobacteriaceae, including Enterobacter (43/103, 41.7%), Escherichia coli (20/103, 19.4%), Salmonella (10/103, 9.7%), and Shigella (8/103, 7.8%). Other isolated bacteria included Yersinia, Morganella, Proteus, and Klebsiella, which accounted for 21.4%. E. coli, Enterobacter, Salmonella, and Shigella were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The results revealed that E. coli, Enterobacter, and Shigella were highly resistant to tetracycline, ampicillin, amoxicillin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, while Salmonella showed complete susceptibility to all tested antibiotics. The observed resistance patterns correlated with antimicrobial usage estimated from sales data from a large-scale wholesale and retail company. Six (6/14, 42.9%) E. coli isolates tested positive for bla_CTX-M, whilst eight (8/14, 57.1%) Enterobacter samples tested positive for bla_TEM. Interestingly, four (4/6, 66.7%) of the E. coli isolates carrying bla_CTX-M-positive strains were also positive for bla_TEM. Sanger sequencing of the PCR products revealed that five (5/6, 83.3%) of the abovementioned isolates possessed the bla_CTX-M-15 allele. The results suggest the presence of potentially pathogenic ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in poultry, threatening public health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Antibiotics in Animals and Antimicrobial Resistance)

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15 pages, 3887 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Antibiotic Residues on Fish Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis and Mucosal Barrier-Related Pathogen Susceptibility in Zebrafish Experimental Model

by Jun Hyeok Yang, Jeong Woo Park, Ho Sung Kim, Seungki Lee, Aaron M. Yerke, Yogini S. Jaiswal, Leonard L. Williams, Sungmin Hwang and Ki Hwan Moon

Antibiotics 2024, 13(1), 82; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13010082 - 15 Jan 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2731

Abstract

The symbiotic community of microorganisms in the gut plays an important role in the health of the host. While many previous studies have been performed on the interactions between the gut microbiome and the host in mammals, studies in fish are still lacking. In this study, we investigated changes in the intestinal microbiome and pathogen susceptibility of zebrafish (Danio rerio) following chronic antibiotics exposure. The chronic antibiotics exposure assay was performed on zebrafish for 30 days using oxytetracycline (Otc), sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (Smx/Tmp), or erythromycin (Ery), which are antibiotics widely used in the aquaculture industry. The microbiome analysis indicated that Fusobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla in the gut microbiome of the zebrafish used in this study. However, in Smx/Tmp-treated zebrafish, the compositions of Fusobacteria and Proteobacteria were changed significantly, and in Ery-treated zebrafish, the compositions of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were altered significantly. Although alpha diversity analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the richness, beta diversity analysis revealed a community imbalance in the gut microbiome of all chronically antibiotics-exposed zebrafish. Intriguingly, in zebrafish with dysbiosis in the gut microbiome, the pathogen susceptibility to Edwardsiella piscicida, a representative Gram-negative fish pathogen, was reduced. Gut microbiome imbalance resulted in a higher count of goblet cells in intestinal tissue and an upregulation of genes related to the intestinal mucosal barrier. In addition, as innate immunity was enhanced by the increased mucosal barrier, immune and stress-related gene expression in the intestinal tissue was downregulated. In this study, we provide new insight into the effect of gut microbiome dysbiosis on pathogen susceptibility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Antibiotics in Animals and Antimicrobial Resistance)

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19 pages, 2580 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Susceptibility Trends of Respiratory and Enteric Porcine Pathogens to Last-Resource Antimicrobials

by Anna Vilaró, Elena Novell, Vicens Enrique-Tarancon, Jordi Baliellas, Lourdes Migura-García and Lorenzo Fraile

Antibiotics 2023, 12(11), 1575; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12111575 - 28 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1552

Abstract

Monitoring the antimicrobial susceptibility of last-resource antimicrobials for veterinary pathogens is urgently needed from a one-health perspective. The objective of this study was to analyze the antimicrobial susceptibility trends of Spanish porcine bacteria to quinolones, cephalosporins, and polymyxins. Isolates of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida, and Escherichia coli were isolated from sick pigs from 2019 to 2022. An antimicrobial susceptibility test was determined based on the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) following an internationally accepted methodology. The MIC categorization was based on distributing the range of MIC values in four categories, with category one being the most susceptible (lowest MIC value) and category four the least susceptible (highest MIC value). Moreover, clinical susceptibility (susceptible/non-susceptible) was also determined according to the CLSI and EUCAST clinical breakpoints. A logistic and multinomial logistic regression model was used to analyze the susceptibility data for dichotomized and categorized MIC data, respectively, for any pair of antimicrobial/microorganism. In general terms, the antimicrobial susceptibility of pig bacteria to these antimicrobials remained stable or increased in the last four years in Spain. In the case of A. pleuropneumoniae and quinolones, a significant temporal trend was observed where isolates from 2020 had significantly increased odds of being more susceptible than isolates from 2019. In the case of E. coli and polymyxins, a significant temporal trend was observed where isolates from 2020 and 2021 had significantly increased odds of being more susceptible than isolates from 2019 and 2020, respectively. Finally, significant odds of being less susceptible were only observed for cephalosporins and E. coli for 2020 versus 2019, stagnating for the rest of study period. These results provide sound data on critically important antimicrobials in swine medicine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Antibiotics in Animals and Antimicrobial Resistance)

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16 pages, 1967 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microbiota and Resistome Analysis of Colostrum and Milk from Dairy Cows Treated with and without Dry Cow Therapies

by Dhrati V. Patangia, Ghjuvan Grimaud, Kevin Linehan, R. Paul Ross and Catherine Stanton

Antibiotics 2023, 12(8), 1315; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12081315 - 14 Aug 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2099

Abstract

This study investigated the longitudinal impact of methods for the drying off of cows with and without dry cow therapy (DCT) on the microbiota and resistome profile in colostrum and milk samples from cows. Three groups of healthy dairy cows (n = 24) with different antibiotic treatments during DCT were studied. Colostrum and milk samples from Month 0 (M0), 2 (M2), 4 (M4) and 6 (M6) were analysed using whole-genome shotgun-sequencing. The microbial diversity from antibiotic-treated groups was different and higher than that of the non-antibiotic group. This difference was more evident in milk compared to colostrum, with increasing diversity seen only in antibiotic-treated groups. The microbiome of antibiotic-treated groups clustered separately from the non-antibiotic group at M2-, M4- and M6 milk samples, showing the effect of antibiotic treatment on between-group (beta) diversity. The non-antibiotic group did not show a high relative abundance of mastitis-causing pathogens during early lactation and was more associated with genera such as Psychrobacter, Serratia, Gordonibacter and Brevibacterium. A high relative abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) was observed in the milk of antibiotic-treated groups with the Cephaguard group showing a significantly high abundance of genes conferring resistance to cephalosporin, aminoglycoside and penam classes. The data support the use of non-antibiotic alternatives for drying off in cows. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Antibiotics in Animals and Antimicrobial Resistance)

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11 pages, 2900 KiB

Open AccessArticle

First Detection of mcr-9 in a Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli of Animal Origin in Italy Is Not Related to Colistin Usage on a Pig Farm

by Flavia Guarneri, Cristina Bertasio, Claudia Romeo, Nicoletta Formenti, Federico Scali, Giovanni Parisio, Sabrina Canziani, Chiara Boifava, Federica Guadagno, Maria Beatrice Boniotti and Giovanni Loris Alborali

Antibiotics 2023, 12(4), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12040689 - 1 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1996

Abstract

The emergence of colistin resistance raises growing concerns because of its use as a last-resort antimicrobial for the treatment of severe gram-negative bacterial infections in humans. Plasmid-borne mobile colistin resistance genes (mcr) are particularly worrisome due to their high propensity to spread. An mcr-9-positive Escherichia coli was isolated from a piglet in Italy, representing the first isolation of this gene from an E. coli of animal origin in the country. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) revealed that mcr-9 was borne by an IncHI2 plasmid carrying several other resistance genes. The strain was indeed phenotypically resistant to six different antimicrobial classes, including 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins. Despite the presence of mcr-9, the isolate was susceptible to colistin, probably because of a genetic background unfavourable to mcr-9 expression. The lack of colistin resistance, coupled with the fact that the farm of origin had not used colistin in years, suggests that mcr-9 in such a multidrug-resistant strain can be maintained thanks to the co-selection of neighbouring resistance genes, following usage of different antimicrobials. Our findings highlight how a comprehensive approach, integrating phenotypical testing, targeted PCR, WGS-based techniques, and information on antimicrobial usage is crucial to shed light on antimicrobial resistance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Antibiotics in Animals and Antimicrobial Resistance)

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