Anthrax is an acute infectious zoonotic disease caused by Bacillus anthracis that mostly affects grazing livestock and wildlife. Furthermore, B. anthracis is considered one of the most important biological agents of bioterrorism that could also be potentially misused in biological weapons. The distribution of anthrax in domestic animals and wildlife in Europe with a particular focus on Ukraine as a country of war was analyzed. Between 2005 and 2022, 267 anthrax cases were registered at the World Organization of Animal Health (WOAH) in animals in Europe, including 251 cases in domestic animals and 16 in wildlife. The highest numbers of cases were recorded in 2005 and 2016 followed by 2008, and the highest numbers of registered cases were reported from Albania, Russia, and Italy. In Ukraine, anthrax is currently a sporadic infection. Since 2007, 28 notifications were registered, with isolates mainly from soil samples. The highest number of confirmed anthrax cases was registered in 2018, and Odesa, which is close to Moldova, had the highest number of cases, followed by the Cherkasy region. The presence of thousands of biothermal pits and burial grounds of fallen cattle nationwide favors the re-emergence of new foci. Most confirmed cases were in cattle; however, single cases were confirmed in dogs, horses, and pigs. Further investigation of the disease in wildlife and in environmental samples is needed. The genetic analysis of isolates, investigation of susceptibility to antimicrobial compounds, and determination of virulence and pathogenicity factors are required in this volatile region of the world for awareness raising and preparedness.

Pseudomonas ( P .) aeruginosa is a highly adaptable, opportunistic nosocomial pathogen that poses significant risks to public health and veterinary medicine. This bacterium carries a wide range of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants and produces various virulence factors that enable it to invade hosts and increase disease severity. Recognised as a One Health pathogen, P. aeruginosa can be isolated from multiple sources, including humans, animals, food, and the environment. Despite its importance in clinical settings, there are still limited genomic and epidemiological data on P. aeruginosa isolates from companion animals in Germany. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of 72 P. aeruginosa isolates collected in 2023 from various companion animals, including dogs, cats, horses, and rabbits, across Germany. Phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) showed that 97.2% of the isolates exhibited a multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype. The highest resistance rates were observed for cefotaxime (98.6%), followed by chloramphenicol (93.1%) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (87.5%). Fosfomycin resistance was observed in 26.4% of the isolates, despite all isolates carrying the fos A gene. All isolates were found to be susceptible to colistin at increased exposure levels. Resistance to imipenem was detected in four dog isolates. Genome analysis revealed various AMR genes associated with resistance to β -lactams, aminoglycosides, sulfonamides, fluoroquinolones, and phenicols. Multiple virulence-associated genes were also identified, including those involved in biofilm formation, adherence, motility, immune modulation, and exotoxin A production. Moreover, 27.8% of the isolates carried plasmid contigs, and one dog isolate harboured a class 1 integron. In silico multilocus sequence typing (MLST) assigned the 72 isolates to 59 distinct sequence types (STs), including five novel STs (ST5165–ST5169). The most frequently identified STs were ST253, ST258, ST395, and ST244, each represented by three isolates. Six high-risk clones (HRCs) of P. aeruginosa , including ST308, ST277, ST244, ST395, ST253, and ST274, were identified in dog ( n = 8) and cat ( n = 4) isolates. This study underscores the significant genomic diversity of P. aeruginosa circulating among companion animals and emphasises the need to manage this bacterium within a One Health framework.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global problem affecting both humans and animals. Multidrug resistance (MDR) infections are predominantly caused by a group of bacteria known as ESKAPE pathogens, namely Enterococcus (E.) faecium, Staphylococcus (S.) aureus, Klebsiella (K.) pneumoniae, Acinetobacter (A.) baumannii, Pseudomonas (P.) aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species. They are among the top threats to public health worldwide as their acquisition of AMR genes has significantly diminished available treatment alternatives for severe infections, increased disease burden, and elevated mortality rates due to treatment failures. The current review aimed to investigate the occurrence and resistance development of the Gram-positive ESKAPE pathogens, E. faecium and S. aureus, in animals, food, and environmental sources in Germany. S. aureus has been extensively investigated in human medicine, and there is a decent knowledge regarding their presence in animals, food, and the environmental health sectors. However, limited published work exists on E. faecium in non-human samples. MDR isolates of both bacteria, harbouring resistance genes conferring resistance to several antimicrobial classes, have been detected in various companion animals and livestock species, as well as food and environmental samples across different regions of Germany. Notably, isolates with identical genotypes have been found in both animals and farm employees, underscoring the potential for cross-infection between animals and humans. This review highlights the impact of E. faecium and S. aureus in non-human sources in Germany and emphasizes the importance of addressing MDR from a One-Health perspective.

Klebsiella (K.) pneumoniae is a One Health pathogen that has been isolated from humans, animals, and environmental sources and is responsible for a diverse range of potentially life-threatening infections. In the present study, we analyzed the genomes of 64 presumptive K. pneumoniae strains isolated in 2023 from different companion and farm animals in Germany. Using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data, 59 isolates (92.2%) were identified as K. pneumoniae and five (7.8%) as K. quasipneumoniae. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) assigned 53 isolates to 46 distinct sequence types (STs). Eleven isolates could not be assigned to existing STs of the Pasteur classification scheme because they contained novel alleles not previously documented. Thus, these were considered novel and designated as ST7681-ST7689 and ST7697-ST7698. Almost all isolates in this study were assigned unique STs, and only five STs were shared among multiple isolates. This research highlights the genetic diversity among K. pneumoniae strains isolated from different companion and farm animals in Germany, provides information to help in surveillance strategies to mitigate zoonotic transmission risks, and demonstrates the value of WGS and MLST in identifying novel STs of K. pneumoniae.