Antimicrobial Resistance in Foodborne Pathogens

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in foodborne pathogens represents a critical and escalating global public health threat in 2025, profoundly impacting infection control, food safety, and public health systems worldwide. Central to this challenge are bacteria such as Salmonella enterica, Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and emerging genera including Aliarcobacter, Aeromonas, and Cronobacter, which exhibit increasing resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics. Among these, quinolone resistance in Salmonella enterica remains a major clinical concern, complicating the treatment of invasive infections and contributing to heightened morbidity and mortality. Compounding this issue is the identification of a resistance-enhancing variant of the efflux pump CmeABC, termed RE-CmeABC, in Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, which significantly bolsters multidrug resistance by increasing efflux of antibiotics, thereby limiting therapeutic options.

The primary drivers of AMR in foodborne bacteria are the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in human medicine and notably in intensive animal farming, wherein non-therapeutic antibiotic applications foster the evolution and dissemination of resistant strains. Resistant bacteria and their resistance genes are transmitted through contaminated food, water, and environmental pathways, posing not only individual clinical risks but also broader threats to food security and global health. The problem is intensified by inconsistent and limited surveillance, particularly in low-resource settings, which hampers effective detection and control strategies.

The scope of this Research Topic includes, but is not limited to, the following sub-themes:

- AMR in key pathogens e.g. Salmonella enterica, Campylobacter jejuni/coli, Escherichia coli pathovars, Listeria monocytogenes, as well as emerging genera like Aliarcobacter, Aeromonas, Cronobacter

- Resistance mechanisms: RE CmeABC efflux variant, major resistance gene classes (β lactams, tetracyclines, sulfonamides, fluoroquinolones) and others

- Drivers of antimicrobial resistance e.g. antibiotic misuse/overuse in human medicine and intensive animal farming including non therapeutic use

- Transmission pathways e.g. contaminated food, water, farm/environmental reservoirs, and mobile resistance genes

- Surveillance and diagnostic tools: whole genome sequencing, metagenomic sequencing, CRISPR based diagnostics (SHERLOCK, DETECTR)

- Environmental persistence and biofilm biology: long term survival of resistance genes in specific habitats

- Mitigation strategies and alternatives

- Research, policy and capacity priorities

The article types considered in this Research Topic are the following: Hypothesis & Theory, Methods, Mini Review, Opinion, Original Research, Perspective, Review, Systematic Review

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

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Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, foodborne pathogens, quinolone resistance, Salmonella enterica, RE-CmeABC efflux pump, Campylobacter jejuni

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.