Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 May;18(3):753-774.
doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.12438. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Antimicrobial Resistance on Farms: A Review Including Biosecurity and the Potential Role of Disinfectants in Resistance Selection

Robert Davies  1 , Andrew Wales  2
Affiliations

Antimicrobial Resistance on Farms: A Review Including Biosecurity and the Potential Role of Disinfectants in Resistance Selection

Robert Davies et al. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2019 May.

Abstract

Resistance to therapeutic antimicrobial agents is recognized as a growing problem for both human and veterinary medicine, and the need to address the issue in both of these linked domains is a current priority in public policy. Efforts to limit antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on farms have so far focused on control of the supply and use of antimicrobial drugs, plus husbandry measures to reduce infectious disease. In the United Kingdom and some other countries, substantial progress has been made recently against targets on agricultural antimicrobial drug use. However, evidence suggests that resistant pathogenic and commensal bacteria can persist and spread within and between premises despite declining or zero antimicrobial drug use. Reasons for this are likely complex and varied but may include: bacterial adaptations to ameliorate fitness costs associated with maintenance and replication of resistance genes and associated proteins, horizontal transmission of genetic resistance determinants between bacteria, physical transfer of bacteria via movement (of animals, workers, and equipment), ineffective cleaning and disinfection, and co-selection of resistance to certain drugs by use of other antimicrobials, heavy metals, or biocides. Areas of particular concern for public health include extended-spectrum cephalosporinases and fluoroquinolone resistance among Enterobacteriaceae, livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and the emergence of transmissible colistin resistance. Aspects of biosecurity have repeatedly been identified as risk factors for the presence of AMR on farm premises, but there are large gaps in our understanding of the most important risk factors and the most effective interventions. The present review aims to summarize the present state of knowledge in this area, from a European perspective.

Keywords: antimicrobial; biosecurity; hygiene; livestock; resistance.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Aarestrup, F. M., & Hasman, H. (2004). Susceptibility of different bacterial species isolated from food animals to copper sulphate, zinc chloride and antimicrobial substances used for disinfection. Veterinary Microbiology, 100(1-2), 83-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2004.01.013
    1. AbuOun, M., Stubberfield, E. J., Duggett, N. A., Kirchner, M., Dormer, L., Nunez-Garcia, J., … Anjum, M. F. (2017). mcr-1 and mcr-2 variant genes identified in Moraxella species isolated from pigs in Great Britain from 2014 to 2015. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 72(10), 2745-2749. https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkx286
    1. Agunos, A., Léger, D., Avery, B. P., Parmley, E. J., Deckert, A., Carson, C. A., & Dutil, L. (2013). Ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter spp. in retail chicken, western Canada. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 19(7), 1121-1124. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1907.111417
    1. Al-Masaudi, S. B., Day, M. J., & Russell, A. D. (1991). Effect of some antibiotics and biocides on plasmid transfer in Staphylococcus aureus. Journal of Applied Bacteriology, 71(3), 239-243. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.1991.tb04454.x
    1. Andrés, S., Vico, J. P., Garrido, V., Grilló, M. J., Samper, S., Gavín, P., … Mainar-Jaime, R. C. (2013). Epidemiology of subclinical salmonellosis in wild birds from an area of high prevalence of pig salmonellosis: Phenotypic and genetic profiles of Salmonella isolates. Zoonoses and Public Health, 60(5), 355-365. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1863-2378.2012.01542.x

LinkOut - more resources