The global increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a worldwide concern for human and animal health. The main pathogens responsible for livestock and poultry epidemics include Salmonella, pathogenic Escherichia coli, Shigella, Proteus, and more. These Enterobacteriaceae are important zoonotic foodborne bacteria capable of endangering human health. Outbreaks and overall prevalence of these bacteria cause global disease burden and mortality, which leads to huge economic losses.
The complexity and degree of resistance to antibiotics is vast, and the types of foodborne Enterobacteriaceae of animal origin vary greatly between regions, also changing over time. Some countries have established national monitoring system for this, such as the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for Enteric Bacteria (NARMS) from the US since 1990s, while the others do not, such as China which ranks among the top countries in terms of volume of consumption of antimicrobial drugs for animals. It is important to know the accurate epidemiology in these countries too.
To reduce the use of antibiotics, several studies have focused on searching for alternatives to antibiotics with similar antimicrobial and animal growth-promoting effects without inducing bacterial resistance and potential side effects to animals. These include organic acids, enzymes, probiotics, prebiotics, antimicrobial peptide and phytogenic compounds. For disease prevention, both vaccines and probiotics are progressing and need further research to support its development; for disease treatment, there has been progress with alternatives such as bacteriophage therapy, predatory bacteria, bacteriocins, and competitive exclusion of pathogens. These approaches only target the disease-causing bacteria and not the other members of the host’s commensal, beneficial microbial communities. Unfortunately, none of these options have consistently demonstrated efficacy comparable to antibiotic treatment, and further studies are needed to improve the deliverability, potency, and reliability of these approaches as antibiotic alternatives.
The first objective of this Research Topic is to obtain an estimate of the prevalence of resistance to common antimicrobial agents amongst Enterobacteriaceae isolates obtained from livestock and poultry. The second objective is to advance food safety from farm to fork by precisely understanding the human health risk potentially posed by foodborne pathogens of animal origin, as well as to study the pathogenic mechanism and develop innovative strategies to minimize food safety risk.
We welcome Original Research papers and Reviews on the topics below:
• Epidemic characteristics of drug resistance of foodborne Enterobacteriaceae
• Pathogenic mechanisms of foodborne Enterobacteriaceae
• Novel control measures for foodborne Enterobacteriaceae bacterial diseases
The global increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a worldwide concern for human and animal health. The main pathogens responsible for livestock and poultry epidemics include Salmonella, pathogenic Escherichia coli, Shigella, Proteus, and more. These Enterobacteriaceae are important zoonotic foodborne bacteria capable of endangering human health. Outbreaks and overall prevalence of these bacteria cause global disease burden and mortality, which leads to huge economic losses.
The complexity and degree of resistance to antibiotics is vast, and the types of foodborne Enterobacteriaceae of animal origin vary greatly between regions, also changing over time. Some countries have established national monitoring system for this, such as the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for Enteric Bacteria (NARMS) from the US since 1990s, while the others do not, such as China which ranks among the top countries in terms of volume of consumption of antimicrobial drugs for animals. It is important to know the accurate epidemiology in these countries too.
To reduce the use of antibiotics, several studies have focused on searching for alternatives to antibiotics with similar antimicrobial and animal growth-promoting effects without inducing bacterial resistance and potential side effects to animals. These include organic acids, enzymes, probiotics, prebiotics, antimicrobial peptide and phytogenic compounds. For disease prevention, both vaccines and probiotics are progressing and need further research to support its development; for disease treatment, there has been progress with alternatives such as bacteriophage therapy, predatory bacteria, bacteriocins, and competitive exclusion of pathogens. These approaches only target the disease-causing bacteria and not the other members of the host’s commensal, beneficial microbial communities. Unfortunately, none of these options have consistently demonstrated efficacy comparable to antibiotic treatment, and further studies are needed to improve the deliverability, potency, and reliability of these approaches as antibiotic alternatives.
The first objective of this Research Topic is to obtain an estimate of the prevalence of resistance to common antimicrobial agents amongst Enterobacteriaceae isolates obtained from livestock and poultry. The second objective is to advance food safety from farm to fork by precisely understanding the human health risk potentially posed by foodborne pathogens of animal origin, as well as to study the pathogenic mechanism and develop innovative strategies to minimize food safety risk.
We welcome Original Research papers and Reviews on the topics below:
• Epidemic characteristics of drug resistance of foodborne Enterobacteriaceae
• Pathogenic mechanisms of foodborne Enterobacteriaceae
• Novel control measures for foodborne Enterobacteriaceae bacterial diseases