Transmission of antimicrobial resistance from livestock agriculture to humans and from humans to animals

Abstract

The emergence of a resistant pathogen reduces the effectiveness of antibiotics in preventing or treating an infection caused by a micro-organism, thus increasing morbidity and mortality and leading to higher economic costs to livestock producers. An understanding of the underlying disease dynamics is crucial in finding appropriate solutions to containing the rise in antimicrobial resistance. This report synthesises the evidence on the potential modes of transmission of antimicrobial resistance between humans and animals and vice versa. In particular, the important role of the environment in the transmission chain is discussed as well as practices to break this link. This report also illustrates some of the commonly shared antibiotic classes that are used in human medicine and animal production, and the overall trends in the usage of these antibiotics. While information on transmission of resistance is sparse, the report highlights several priority areas where future research could focus in order to bring a greater understanding of these interactions.