Beyond Resistance in Veterinary Bacteriology: Antibiotic Tolerance and Persistence Across Animal Hosts and One Health

Antibiotic tolerance and persistence are emerging challenges in veterinary bacteriology, increasingly recognized as key factors underlying chronic and relapsing infections in a wide range of animal hosts. Unlike classical antibiotic resistance, which is well-documented and the primary focus of mitigation strategies, tolerance and persistence are characterized by reversible, non-heritable survival phenotypes that enable bacteria to withstand antimicrobial exposure without genetic changes. This Research Topic is uniquely centered on these transient, non-genetic states and on building a translational bridge between laboratory findings and clinical outcomes. Recent studies have revealed that these phenotypes - manifesting through dormancy, metabolic slowdown, biofilm sheltering, or phenotypic heterogeneity - are particularly problematic in diverse veterinary environments, interacting with host physiology, treatment regimens, and management practices. The growing understanding of these phenomena reveals significant knowledge gaps regarding their measurement, clinical relevance, and impact on animal welfare, food safety, and zoonotic transmission, especially as veterinary medicine shifts away from routine prophylactic antimicrobial use. Despite significant progress in single-cell, spatial, and pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic (PK–PD) methodologies, there remains an urgent need to harmonize assays, clarify underlying mechanisms, and translate results into evidence-based antimicrobial stewardship and targeted therapeutic strategies with measurable clinical and field impact. This Research Topic will further emphasize the role of PK–PD modeling in linking experimental data to therapeutic outcomes, focusing on the relationship between drug exposure, bacterial persistence, and treatment efficacy, and on translational insights that enhance clinical relevance.



This Research Topic aims to bridge veterinary microbiology, clinical and farm practice, and One Health approaches by advancing our understanding of antibiotic tolerance and persistence across animal species. The primary goals are to refine the detection and quantification of these bacterial phenotypes, clarify their underlying molecular and ecological drivers in veterinary pathogens, and link experimental findings directly to clinical and animal health outcomes. Critical questions guiding this effort include how tolerance and persistence contribute to treatment failures and relapses, their interaction with environmental and husbandry factors, and how new insights can guide more effective, species-specific therapies and stewardship programs. By catalyzing new research and standardizing methodologies, this effort seeks to foster innovations in diagnostics, preventive strategies, and therapeutic regimens that directly address these transient phenotypes.



This Research Topic is focused on understanding the scope, mechanisms, and control strategies relating to antibiotic tolerance and persistence among veterinary pathogens. While the emphasis is on bacterial phenotypes affecting livestock, companion animals, aquaculture, and wildlife, studies should clearly relate findings to practical clinical, epidemiological, or stewardship outcomes in veterinary contexts. Articles of interest may cover, but are not limited to, the following themes:



- Mechanisms of tolerance and persistence across veterinary pathogens, including genetic, physiological, and environmental drivers

- Development and validation of assays to detect and quantify tolerant or persister cells

- The role of biofilms in animal infections and environmental reservoirs (e.g., equipment, water systems)

- Impact of antimicrobial regimens (including long-acting injectables and metaphylaxis) on the emergence and maintenance of tolerance

- Species-specific challenges and solutions in ruminants, swine, poultry, equines, companion animals, aquaculture, and wildlife

- Integration of PK–PD modeling and tolerance metrics for improved therapeutic strategies

- Links between tolerance, relapse risk, and animal health/welfare outcomes

- Zoonotic and One Health implications of tolerance and persistence



We welcome original research, reviews, brief research reports, methods, and case studies that address one or more of the above themes.

Keywords: veterinary bacteriology; antibiotic tolerance; bacterial persistence; biofilms; long-acting injectables; metaphylaxis; One Health

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.