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Antibiotics
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Antimicrobial Resistance in Animals and Animal Products and Its Environmental...
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Antimicrobial Resistance in Animals and Animal Products and Its Environmental Transmission Aspects

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 6973

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nikolaos Solomakos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Hygiene of Foods of Animal Origin, Veterinary Faculty, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Interests: natural antimicrobials; foodborne pathogens; public health; one health; antimicrobial resistance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Thomai Lazou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Animal Food Products Hygiene–Veterinary Public Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: antimicrobial resistance of foodborne pathogens; veterinary public health; one health
Dr. Andreana Pexara

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Hygiene of Foods of Animal Origin, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 224 Trikalon Street, 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Interests: hygiene of foods of animal origin
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The management of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a critical global health challenge in recent years. Antimicrobial compounds are extensively administered to animals in order to treat infections, prevent diseases or even promote growth. The rise in AMR in animals and animal products, as well as its transmission into the environment, has further heightened concerns regarding the impact of these practices on human health and the ecosystem. Therefore, the United Nations has listed AMR as a critical environmental pollution issue.

This Special Issue aims to explore and address the multifaceted aspects of antimicrobial resistance in animals and animal products, focusing on transmission dynamics into the environment using the concept of One Health.

The overarching objective of this Issue is to foster a better understanding of the drivers, mechanisms, and consequences of AMR in animals and animal products. By analyzing the complex interactions between animals, human activities, and the environment, we aim to shed light on the factors contributing to the development and spread of AMR. Furthermore, this Special Issue will also delve into the potential solutions, interventions, and policies that can effectively mitigate antimicrobial resistance in animals and its transmission into the environment.

We welcome researchers, scientists, and experts in the field to contribute their original research articles, reviews, and perspectives to this Special Issue. By sharing your findings and expertise, we will advance our understanding of antimicrobial resistance in animals and animal products and its impact on public health and the environment. Ultimately, we aspire to inform evidence-based strategies and policies that can help to combat this global challenge and preserve the efficacy of antimicrobial agents in both human and veterinary medicine.

Dr. Nikolaos Solomakos
Dr. Thomai Lazou
Dr. Andreana Pexara
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. Antibiotics 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 2900 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

  • antimicrobial resistance
  • one health
  • AMR dissemination in the environment
  • antibiotics in animals
  • foodborne pathogens
  • animal products

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 557 KiB  
Article
Further Evidence of Anthropogenic Impact: High Levels of Multiple-Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria Found in Neritic-Stage Sea Turtles
by Ming-An Tsai, I-Chun Chen, Zeng-Weng Chen and Tsung-Hsien Li
Antibiotics 2024, 13(11), 998; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13110998 - 22 Oct 2024
Viewed by 888
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Marine turtles are globally threatened and face daily anthropogenic threats, including pollution. Water pollution from emerging contaminants such as antimicrobials is a major and current environmental concern. Methods: This study investigated the phenotypic antimicrobial resistance and heavy metal resistance genes of 47 [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Marine turtles are globally threatened and face daily anthropogenic threats, including pollution. Water pollution from emerging contaminants such as antimicrobials is a major and current environmental concern. Methods: This study investigated the phenotypic antimicrobial resistance and heavy metal resistance genes of 47 Vibrio isolates from different stages of sea turtles (oceanic stage vs neritic stage) from the Taiwanese coast. Results: The results show that a high proportion (48.9%; 23/47) of the Vibrio species isolated from sea turtles in our study had a multiple antimicrobial resistance (MAR) pattern. It was found that Vibrio spp. isolates with a MAR pattern and those with a MAR index value greater than 0.2 were both more likely to be observed in neritic-stage sea turtles. Furthermore, isolates from neritic-stage sea turtles exhibited greater resistance to the majority of antimicrobials tested (with the exception of beta-lactams and macrolides) than isolates from the oceanic-stage groups. Isolates from neritic sea turtles were found to be more resistant to nitrofurans and aminoglycosides than isolates from oceanic sea turtles. Furthermore, isolates with a MAR pattern (p = 0.010) and those with a MAR index value greater than 0.2 (p = 0.027) were both found to be significantly positively associated with the mercury reductase (merA) gene. Conclusions: The findings of our study indicate that co-selection of heavy metals and antimicrobial resistance may occur in aquatic bacteria in the coastal foraging habitats of sea turtles in Taiwan. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance in Animals and Animal Products and Its Environmental Transmission Aspects)
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20 pages, 322 KiB  
Article
Risk Factor Analysis for Occurrence of Linezolid-Resistant Bacteria in the Digestive and Respiratory Tract of Food-Producing Animals in Belgium: A Pilot Study
by Michèle Driesen, Michaël Timmermans, Mickaël Cargnel, Xavier Simons, Maria-Eleni Filippitzi, Boudewijn Catry, Fabiana Dal Pozzo, Wannes Vanderhaeghen, Bénédicte Callens, Marc Dispas and Cécile Boland
Antibiotics 2024, 13(8), 707; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13080707 - 29 Jul 2024
Viewed by 702
Abstract
Linezolid is a critically important antimicrobial used in human medicine. While linezolid is not licensed for food-producing animals, the veterinary use of other antimicrobials, such as phenicols (e.g., florfenicol), could cross/co-select for linezolid-resistant (LR) bacteria. Such LR strains pose a great concern for [...] Read more.
Linezolid is a critically important antimicrobial used in human medicine. While linezolid is not licensed for food-producing animals, the veterinary use of other antimicrobials, such as phenicols (e.g., florfenicol), could cross/co-select for linezolid-resistant (LR) bacteria. Such LR strains pose a great concern for public health due to their potential transfer between animals and humans. This study explored possible associations between epidemiological risk factors, including phenicol use, and the occurrence of LR bacteria, such as enterococci and staphylococci, in poultry, pigs, and veal calves in Belgium. Florfenicol use significantly increased the likelihood of harboring LR bacteria in veal calves, sows, and fattening pigs, particularly for the digestive tract (odds ratio (OR): [3.19–5.29]) and the respiratory tract (OR: [6.11–9.09]). LR strains from feces from fattening pigs were significantly associated with production type (OR: [3.31–44.14]) and the presence of other animal species (OR: 0.41). The occurrence of LR strains in the respiratory tract from sows was also significantly associated with using antimicrobials other than florfenicol (OR: 10.07) and purchasing animals (OR: 7.28). Our study highlights the potential risks of using certain veterinary antimicrobials, such as florfenicol, in food-producing animals and emphasizes the need for responsible antimicrobial use to safeguard both animal and public health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance in Animals and Animal Products and Its Environmental Transmission Aspects)
22 pages, 951 KiB  
Article
Whole-Genome Sequencing of Human and Porcine Escherichia coli Isolates on a Commercial Pig Farm in South Africa
by Wilhelmina Strasheim, Michelle Lowe, Anthony M. Smith, Eric M. C. Etter and Olga Perovic
Antibiotics 2024, 13(6), 543; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13060543 - 11 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1656
Abstract
Escherichia coli is an indicator micro-organism in One Health antibiotic resistance surveillance programs. The purpose of the study was to describe and compare E. coli isolates obtained from pigs and human contacts from a commercial farm in South Africa using conventional methods and whole-genome [...] Read more.
Escherichia coli is an indicator micro-organism in One Health antibiotic resistance surveillance programs. The purpose of the study was to describe and compare E. coli isolates obtained from pigs and human contacts from a commercial farm in South Africa using conventional methods and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Porcine E. coli isolates were proportionally more resistant phenotypically and harbored a richer diversity of antibiotic resistance genes as compared to human E. coli isolates. Different pathovars, namely ExPEC (12.43%, 21/169), ETEC (4.14%, 7/169), EPEC (2.96%, 5/169), EAEC (2.96%, 5/169) and STEC (1.18%, 2/169), were detected at low frequencies. Sequence type complex (STc) 10 was the most prevalent (85.51%, 59/169) among human and porcine isolates. Six STcs (STc10, STc86, STc168, STc206, STc278 and STc469) were shared at the human–livestock interface according to multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Core-genome MLST and hierarchical clustering (HC) showed that human and porcine isolates were overall genetically diverse, but some clustering at HC2–HC200 was observed. In conclusion, even though the isolates shared a spatiotemporal relationship, there were still differences in the virulence potential, antibiotic resistance profiles and cgMLST and HC according to the source of isolation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance in Animals and Animal Products and Its Environmental Transmission Aspects)
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17 pages, 6057 KiB  
Article
Camel Milk Resistome in Kuwait: Genotypic and Phenotypic Characterization
by Rita Rahmeh, Abrar Akbar, Batlah Almutairi, Mohamed Kishk, Naida Babic Jordamovic, Abdulaziz Al-Ateeqi, Anisha Shajan, Heba Al-Sherif, Alfonso Esposito, Sabah Al-Momin and Silvano Piazza
Antibiotics 2024, 13(5), 380; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13050380 - 23 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1781
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the major global health and economic threats. There is growing concern about the emergence of AMR in food and the possibility of transmission of microorganisms possessing antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to the human gut microbiome. Shotgun sequencing [...] Read more.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the major global health and economic threats. There is growing concern about the emergence of AMR in food and the possibility of transmission of microorganisms possessing antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to the human gut microbiome. Shotgun sequencing and in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing were used in this study to provide a detailed characterization of the antibiotic resistance profile of bacteria and their ARGs in dromedary camel milk. Eight pooled camel milk samples, representative of multiple camels distributed in the Kuwait desert, were collected from retail stores and analyzed. The genotypic analysis showed the presence of ARGs that mediate resistance to 18 classes of antibiotics in camel milk, with the highest resistance to fluoroquinolones (12.48%) and disinfecting agents and antiseptics (9%). Furthermore, the results pointed out the possible transmission of the ARGs to other bacteria through mobile genetic elements. The in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing indicated that 80% of the isolates were resistant to different classes of antibiotics, with the highest resistance observed against three antibiotic classes: penicillin, tetracyclines, and carbapenems. Multidrug-resistant pathogens including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Enterobacter hormaechei were also revealed. These findings emphasize the human health risks related to the handling and consumption of raw camel milk and highlight the necessity of improving the hygienic practices of farms and retail stores to control the prevalence of ARGs and their transmission. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance in Animals and Animal Products and Its Environmental Transmission Aspects)
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Review

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24 pages, 1342 KiB  
Review
The Contribution of Dairy Bedding and Silage to the Dissemination of Genes Coding for Antimicrobial Resistance: A Narrative Review
by Armin Tarrah, Dong Zhang, Pariya Darvishzadeh and Gisèle LaPointe
Antibiotics 2024, 13(9), 905; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13090905 - 22 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1185
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a concern in the dairy industry. Recent studies have indicated that bedding serves as a reservoir for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and antimicrobial-resistance genes (ARGs), while silage has been proposed as another possible source. The impact of AMR in dairy farming [...] Read more.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a concern in the dairy industry. Recent studies have indicated that bedding serves as a reservoir for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and antimicrobial-resistance genes (ARGs), while silage has been proposed as another possible source. The impact of AMR in dairy farming can be significant, resulting in decreased productivity and economic losses for farmers. Several studies have highlighted the safety implications of AMR bacteria and genes in bedding and silage, emphasizing the need for further research on how housing, bedding, and silage management affect AMR in farm environments. Exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of antibiotics, such as those from contaminated bedding and silage, can prompt bacteria to develop resistance mechanisms. Thus, even if antimicrobial usage is diminished, ARGs may be maintained in the dairy farm environment. By implementing proactive measures to tackle AMR in dairy farming, we can take steps to preserve the health and productivity of dairy cattle while also protecting public health. This involves addressing the prudent use of antibiotics during production and promoting animal welfare, hygiene, and management practices in bedding and farm environments to minimize the risk of AMR development and spread. This narrative review compiles the growing research, positioning the contribution of bedding and silage to the prevalence and dissemination of AMR, which can elicit insights for researchers and policymakers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance in Animals and Animal Products and Its Environmental Transmission Aspects)
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