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Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions: One-Health Perspectives and Solutions in Antimicrobial Resistance and...
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Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions: One-Health Perspectives and Solutions in Antimicrobial Resistance and Disease

A special issue of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease (ISSN 2414-6366). This special issue belongs to the section "One Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 13389

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Windell L. Rivera

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions Research Laboratory, Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines
Interests: antimicrobial resistance; bacterial pathogens; diagnosis and detection, environment; microbial source tracking; protozoan pathogens
Prof. Dr. Taane G. Clark

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Infectious Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
Interests: antimicrobial resistance; host, vector and pathogen genomics; population genetics; transmission and outbreak investigations; bioinformatics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and disease from bacterial infections pose an encompassing threat to human, animal, and environmental health worldwide. They are among the leading causes of global deaths with a growing incidence across the years. Bacterial pathogens are ubiquitous and can reside and circulate in residential and clinical sectors, agriculture and food animal industries and in environmental reservoirs such as soil and water, which have significant health implications. WHO estimated an annual 10 million AMR-related deaths worldwide by the year 2050. Meanwhile, resistant bacteria (ARBs) and resistance genes (ARGs) continue to emerge and disseminate. Their prevalence is further exacerbated by anthropogenic factors such as abuse and misuse of antimicrobials, and the generation and improper disposal of wastes in various sectors.

To prevent or lessen the burden and spread of AMR and pathogenic bacteria, multi-faceted strategies involving humans, animals and environments must be implemented. Studies involving the detection, surveillance, and tracking of contaminations from sources such as residential, clinical, agricultural and industrial settings to sinks such as soil and water bodies are important to understand transmission dynamics and interactions among pathogens, hosts, and environments. Advancements in efficient diagnostic and detection methods for diverse pathogenic and ARBs as well as ARGs are crucial to monitor their prevalence and diversity, which will help in formulating mitigation and control measures against their emergence, dissemination, and infection. With decreasing options for antimicrobials, the search for alternative therapeutics is crucial to combat bacterial infections and AMR.

This Special Issue, the “Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions: One-Health Perspectives and Solutions in Antimicrobial Resistance and Disease”, aims to compile research on bacterial AMR and disease tackling the inter-relatedness and dependencies of human, animal, and environmental sectors with one-health perspectives. Recent developments in surveillance approaches such as advanced molecular tools like metagenomics are also critical in addressing the threat of underestimated AMR reservoirs.

Prof. Dr. Windell L. Rivera
Prof. Dr. Taane G. Clark
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 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
  • bacterial infection
  • diagnosis and detection
  • environment
  • human and animal health
  • microbial source tracking
  • one-health approach
  • surveillance

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 3622 KiB  
Article
Multidrug-Resistant Proteus mirabilis and Other Gram-Negative Species Isolated from Native Egyptian Chicken Carcasses
by Bassant Ashraf El-Saeed, Hend Ali Elshebrawy, Amira Ibrahim Zakaria, Adel Abdelkhalek, Kálmán Imre, Adriana Morar, Viorel Herman and Khalid Ibrahim Sallam
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2024, 9(9), 217; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9090217 - 18 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1079
Abstract
Poultry carcasses may be reservoirs for the zoonotic transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria to humans and pose a major public health hazard. During the isolation of Salmonella from poultry and other foods, many of the presumptive typical Salmonella colonies on xylose lysine deoxycholate (XLD) [...] Read more.
Poultry carcasses may be reservoirs for the zoonotic transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria to humans and pose a major public health hazard. During the isolation of Salmonella from poultry and other foods, many of the presumptive typical Salmonella colonies on xylose lysine deoxycholate (XLD) agar were found to lack the invA gene, which is the specific target gene for Salmonella spp. Therefore, the current study aimed to estimate the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance profiles of extensively drug-resistant invA-negative non-Salmonella isolates recovered from native Egyptian chicken carcasses as presumptive Salmonella colonies on XLD agar. The non-Salmonella isolates were detected in 84% (126/150) of the examined native Egyptian chicken carcasses and classified into five genera, with prevalence rates of 64% (96/150), 14% (21/150), 6.7% (10/150), 3.3% (5/150), and 1.3% (2/150) for Proteus, Citrobacter, Shigella, Pseudomonas, and Edwardsiella, respectively. One hundred and ninety-five invA-negative, non-verified presumptive Salmonella isolates were recovered and classified at the species level into Proteus mirabilis (132/195; 67.7%), Proteus vulgaris (11/195; 5.6%), Citrobacter freundii (26/195; 13.3%), Shigella flexneri (8/195; 4.1%), Shigella sonnei (6/195; 3.1%), Shigella dysenteriae (3/195; 1.5%), Pseudomonas fluorescens (6/195; 3.1%), and Edwardsiella tarda (3/195; 1.5%). All (195/195; 100%) of these isolates showed resistance against cefaclor and fosfomycin. Additionally, these isolates showed high resistance rates of 98%, 92.8%, 89.7%, 89.2%, 89.2%, 86.7%, 80%, 78.5%, 74.4%, and 73.9% against cephalothin, azithromycin, vancomycin, nalidixic acid, tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, cefepime, gentamicin, cefotaxime, and ciprofloxacin, respectively. Interestingly, all (195/195; 100%) of the identified isolates were resistant to at least five antibiotics and exhibited an average MAR (multiple antibiotic resistance) index of 0.783. Furthermore, 73.9% of the examined isolates were classified as extensively drug-resistant, with an MAR index equal to 0.830. The high prevalence of extensively drug-resistant foodborne Proteus, Citrobacter, Shigella, Pseudomonas, and Edwardsiella isolated from native chicken carcasses poses a great hazard to public health and necessitates more monitoring and concern about the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals. This study also recommends the strict implementation of GHP (good hygienic practices) and GMP (good manufacturing practices) in the chicken meat supply chain to protect consumer health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions: One-Health Perspectives and Solutions in Antimicrobial Resistance and Disease)
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11 pages, 965 KiB  
Article
Phenotypic Investigation and Detection of Biofilm-Associated Genes in Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates, Obtained from Companion Animals
by Marios Lysitsas, Eleutherios Triantafillou, Irene Chatzipanagiotidou, Konstantina Antoniou, Vassiliki Spyrou, Charalambos Billinis and George Valiakos
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2024, 9(5), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9050109 - 11 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1338
Abstract
Bacteria of the genus Acinetobacter, especially Acinetobacter baumannii (Ab), have emerged as pathogens of companion animals during the last two decades and are commonly associated with hospitalization and multidrug resistance. A critical factor for the distribution of relevant strains in [...] Read more.
Bacteria of the genus Acinetobacter, especially Acinetobacter baumannii (Ab), have emerged as pathogens of companion animals during the last two decades and are commonly associated with hospitalization and multidrug resistance. A critical factor for the distribution of relevant strains in healthcare facilities, including veterinary facilities, is their adherence to both biotic and abiotic surfaces and the production of biofilms. A group of 41 A. baumannii isolates obtained from canine and feline clinical samples in Greece was subjected to phenotypic investigation of their ability to produce biofilms using the tissue culture plate (TCP) method. All of them (100%) produced biofilms, while 23 isolates (56.1%) were classified as strong producers, 11 (26.8%) as moderate producers, and 7 (17.1%) as weak producers. A correlation between the MDR and XDR phenotypes and weak or moderate biofilm production was identified. Moreover, the presence of four biofilm-associated genes bap, blaPER, ompA, and csuE was examined by PCR, and they were detected in 100%, 65.9%, 97.6%, and 95.1% of the strains respectively. All isolates carried at least two of the investigated genes, whereas most of the strong biofilm producers carried all four genes. In conclusion, the spread and persistence of biofilm-producing Ab strains in veterinary facilities is a matter of concern, since they are regularly obtained from infected animals, indicating their potential as challenging pathogens for veterinarians due to multidrug resistance and tolerance in conventional eradication measures. Furthermore, considering that companion animals can act as reservoirs of relevant strains, public health concerns emerge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions: One-Health Perspectives and Solutions in Antimicrobial Resistance and Disease)
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14 pages, 2148 KiB  
Article
Genomic Analysis of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli Strains Isolated in Tamaulipas, Mexico
by Jessica L. Ortega-Balleza, Abraham Guerrero, Graciela Castro-Escarpulli, Ana Verónica Martínez-Vázquez, María Antonia Cruz-Hernández, Erick de Jesús de Luna-Santillana, Erika Acosta-Cruz, Irám Pablo Rodríguez-Sánchez, Gildardo Rivera and Virgilio Bocanegra-García
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2023, 8(10), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed8100458 - 26 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2532
Abstract
The global spread of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) is a major public health concern. Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are the main drivers of this spread by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Escherichia coli is widespread in various environments and serves as an indicator for [...] Read more.
The global spread of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) is a major public health concern. Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are the main drivers of this spread by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Escherichia coli is widespread in various environments and serves as an indicator for monitoring antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the whole genome of multidrug-resistant E. coli strains isolated from human clinical, animal, and environmental sources. Four E. coli strains previously isolated from human urine (n = 2), retail meat (n = 1), and water from the Rio Grande River (n = 1) collected in northern Tamaulipas, Mexico, were analyzed. E. coli strains were evaluated for antimicrobial susceptibility, followed by whole genome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. Several ARGs were detected, including blaCTX-M-15, blaOXA-1, blaTEM-1B, blaCMY-2, qnrB, catB3, sul2, and sul3. Additionally, plasmid replicons (IncFIA, IncFIB, IncFII, IncY, IncR, and Col) and intact prophages were also found. Insertion sequences (ISs) were structurally linked with resistance and virulence genes. Finally, these findings indicate that E. coli strains have a large repertoire of resistance determinants, highlighting a high pathogenic potential and the need to monitor them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions: One-Health Perspectives and Solutions in Antimicrobial Resistance and Disease)
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11 pages, 1623 KiB  
Article
Single-Center Experience of Control of Ventilator-Circuit-Transmitted Burkholderia cepacia Outbreak in an Intensive Care Unit
by Bing-Jie Shen, Jann-Tay Wang, Hou-Tai Chang, Shan-Chwen Chang and Chun-Hsing Liao
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2023, 8(7), 335; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed8070335 - 23 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1768
Abstract
Burkholderia cepacia is an emerging nosocomial pathogen frequently associated with outbreaks, but the exact transmission route of this pathogen can at times be elusive in spite of extensive environmental investigative cultures. Active surveillance for sputum cultures was performed for all patients from September [...] Read more.
Burkholderia cepacia is an emerging nosocomial pathogen frequently associated with outbreaks, but the exact transmission route of this pathogen can at times be elusive in spite of extensive environmental investigative cultures. Active surveillance for sputum cultures was performed for all patients from September 2008 to September 2009 in an intensive care unit (ICU) with B. cepacia outbreak. With evidence of persistent positive conversion of sputum cultures (colonization) and infections among patients, discontinuing re-usable ventilator circuits was introduced. A total of 689 patients were admitted to this unit for a mean duration of 8.7 ± 7.5 days. There were 489 patients (71.0%) with a stay for one to ten days; 161 (23.4%) patients for 11 to 20 days; and 39 (5.7%) with over 20 days. In the first group, 13.5% of patients had cultures converting from negative to positive, in contrast to 66.7% in the last group (p < 0.01). With intervention of using disposable ventilator circuits since June 2009, the incidence of isolated B. cepacia decreased gradually. The estimated 30-day isolation-free probabilities of the groups before, during, one month (August 2009) after, and two months (September 2009) after this intervention were 38.5%, 47.3%, 66.5%, and 96.0%, respectively (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the effect of discontinuing reusable ventilator circuit persisted in the following 6 years; both total isolates of B. cepacia and the infection caused by it were much lower compared to the outbreak period. In summary, this six-year outbreak in a medical ICU persisted until reusable ventilator circuits were discontinued in 2009. The effect of disposable circuits on the decreased incidence of B. cepacia infection maintained in the following years. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions: One-Health Perspectives and Solutions in Antimicrobial Resistance and Disease)
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Review

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28 pages, 625 KiB  
Review
A Risk Management Approach to Global Pandemics of Infectious Disease and Anti-Microbial Resistance
by Annie Sparrow, Meghan Smith-Torino, Samuel M. Shamamba, Bisimwa Chirakarhula, Maranatha A. Lwaboshi, Christine Stabell Benn and Konstantin Chumakov
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2024, 9(11), 280; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9110280 - 18 Nov 2024
Viewed by 807
Abstract
Pandemics of infectious disease and growing anti-microbial resistance (AMR) pose major threats to global health, trade, and security. Conflict and climate change compound and accelerate these threats. The One Health approach recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, but is grounded [...] Read more.
Pandemics of infectious disease and growing anti-microbial resistance (AMR) pose major threats to global health, trade, and security. Conflict and climate change compound and accelerate these threats. The One Health approach recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, but is grounded in the biomedical model, which reduces health to the absence of disease. Biomedical responses are insufficient to meet the challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic is the most recent example of the failure of this biomedical model to address global threats, the limitations of laboratory-based surveillance, and the exclusive focus on vaccination for disease control. This paper examines the current paradigm through the lens of polio and the global campaign to eradicate it, as well as other infectious threats including mpox and drug-resistant tuberculosis, particularly in the context of armed conflict. Decades before vaccines became widely available, public health measures—ventilation, chlorination, nutrition and sanitation— led to longer, healthier, and even taller lives. Chlorine, our primary tool of public health, conquered cholera and transformed infection control in hospitals. The World Health Organization (WHO), part of the One Health alliance, focuses mainly on antibiotics and vaccines to reduce deaths due to superbugs and largely ignores the critical role of chlorine to control water-borne diseases (including polio) and other infections. Moreover, the One Health approach ignores armed conflict. Contemporary wars are characterized by indiscriminate bombing of civilians, attacks targeting healthcare, mass displacement and lack of humanitarian access, conditions which drive polio outbreaks and incubate superbugs. We discuss the growing trend of attacks on healthcare and differentiate between types: community-driven attacks targeting vaccinators in regions like Pakistan, and state-sponsored attacks by governments such as those of Syria and Russia that weaponize healthcare to deliberately harm whole populations. Both fuel outbreaks of disease. These distinct motivations necessitate tailored responses, yet the WHO aggregates these attacks in a manner that hampers effective intervention. While antimicrobial resistance is predictable, the escalating pandemic is the consequence of our reliance on antibiotics and commitment to a biomedical model that now borders on pathological. Our analysis reveals the international indenture to the biomedical model as the basis of disease control is the root driver of AMR and vaccine-derived polio. The unique power of vaccines is reduced by vaccination-only strategy, and in fact breeds vaccine-derived polio. The non-specific effects of vaccines must be leveraged, and universal vaccination must be supplement by international investment in water chlorination will reduce health costs and strengthen global health security. While vaccines are an important weapon to combat pandemics and AMR,, they must be accompanied by the entire arsenal of public health interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions: One-Health Perspectives and Solutions in Antimicrobial Resistance and Disease)
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16 pages, 1193 KiB  
Review
Host Immune Responses to Clostridioides difficile Infection and Potential Novel Therapeutic Approaches
by Md Zahidul Alam, John E. Markantonis and John T. Fallon
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2023, 8(12), 506; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed8120506 - 23 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2711
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a leading nosocomial infection, posing a substantial public health challenge within the United States and globally. CDI typically occurs in hospitalized elderly patients who have been administered antibiotics; however, there has been a rise in the occurrence of [...] Read more.
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a leading nosocomial infection, posing a substantial public health challenge within the United States and globally. CDI typically occurs in hospitalized elderly patients who have been administered antibiotics; however, there has been a rise in the occurrence of CDI in the community among young adults who have not been exposed to antibiotics. C. difficile releases toxins, which damage large intestinal epithelium, leading to toxic megacolon, sepsis, and even death. Unfortunately, existing antibiotic therapies do not always prevent these consequences, with up to one-third of treated patients experiencing a recurrence of the infection. Host factors play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of CDI, and accumulating evidence shows that modulation of host immune responses may potentially alter the disease outcome. In this review, we provide an overview of our current knowledge regarding the role of innate and adaptive immune responses on CDI outcomes. Moreover, we present a summary of non-antibiotic microbiome-based therapies that can effectively influence host immune responses, along with immunization strategies that are intended to tackle both the treatment and prevention of CDI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions: One-Health Perspectives and Solutions in Antimicrobial Resistance and Disease)
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Other

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22 pages, 6866 KiB  
Systematic Review
The Role of Environmental Factors in Lyme Disease Transmission in the European Union: A Systematic Review
by Christine Giesen, Daniel Cifo, Diana Gomez-Barroso, Rosa M. Estévez-Reboredo, Jordi Figuerola and Zaida Herrador
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2024, 9(5), 113; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9050113 - 15 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1677
Abstract
Background: Lyme disease (LD) is an emergent vector-borne disease caused by Borrelia spp. and transmitted through infected ticks, mainly Ixodes spp. Our objective was to determine meteorological and environmental factors associated with LD transmission in Europe and the effect of climate change on [...] Read more.
Background: Lyme disease (LD) is an emergent vector-borne disease caused by Borrelia spp. and transmitted through infected ticks, mainly Ixodes spp. Our objective was to determine meteorological and environmental factors associated with LD transmission in Europe and the effect of climate change on LD. Materials and methods: A systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines was performed. We selected studies on LD transmission in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) published between 2000 and 2022. The protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database. Results: We included 81 studies. The impact of environmental, meteorological or climate change factors on tick vectors was studied in 65 papers (80%), and the impact on human LD cases was studied in 16 papers (19%), whereas animal hosts were only addressed in one study (1%). A significant positive relationship was observed between temperature and precipitation and the epidemiology of LD, although contrasting results were found among studies. Other positive factors were humidity and the expansion of anthropized habitats. Conclusions: The epidemiology of LD seems to be related to climatic factors that are changing globally due to ongoing climate change. Unfortunately, the complete zoonotic cycle was not systematically analyzed. It is important to adopt a One Health approach to understand LD epidemiology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions: One-Health Perspectives and Solutions in Antimicrobial Resistance and Disease)
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