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Review
. 2017 Mar 14;5(1):11.
doi: 10.3390/microorganisms5010011.

The Food Production Environment and the Development of Antimicrobial Resistance in Human Pathogens of Animal Origin

Manjusha Lekshmi  1 , Parvathi Ammini  2 , Sanath Kumar  3 , Manuel F Varela  4
Affiliations
Review

The Food Production Environment and the Development of Antimicrobial Resistance in Human Pathogens of Animal Origin

Manjusha Lekshmi et al. Microorganisms. .

Abstract

Food-borne pathogens are a serious human health concern worldwide, and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant food pathogens has further confounded this problem. Once-highly-efficacious antibiotics are gradually becoming ineffective against many important pathogens, resulting in severe treatment crises. Among several reasons for the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance, their overuse in animal food production systems for purposes other than treatment of infections is prominent. Many pathogens of animals are zoonotic, and therefore any development of resistance in pathogens associated with food animals can spread to humans through the food chain. Human infections by antibiotic-resistant pathogens such as Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus are increasing. Considering the human health risk due to emerging antibiotic resistance in food animal-associated bacteria, many countries have banned the use of antibiotic growth promoters and the application in animals of antibiotics critically important in human medicine. Concerted global efforts are necessary to minimize the use of antimicrobials in food animals in order to control the development of antibiotic resistance in these systems and their spread to humans via food and water.

Keywords: antibiotic; growth promoter; pathogen; resistance; zoonosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Global antimicrobial use in food animals (a) Major users of antimicrobials in livestock in 2010; (b) Major users of antimicrobials in livestock in 2030 (projected) [65].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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