Food animals and antimicrobials: impacts on human health. - Related Documents




#
Rank
Similarity
Title + Abs.
Year
PMID
012345
664601.0000Food animals and antimicrobials: impacts on human health. Antimicrobials are valuable therapeutics whose efficacy is seriously compromised by the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. The provision of antibiotics to food animals encompasses a wide variety of nontherapeutic purposes that include growth promotion. The concern over resistance emergence and spread to people by nontherapeutic use of antimicrobials has led to conflicted practices and opinions. Considerable evidence supported the removal of nontherapeutic antimicrobials (NTAs) in Europe, based on the "precautionary principle." Still, concrete scientific evidence of the favorable versus unfavorable consequences of NTAs is not clear to all stakeholders. Substantial data show elevated antibiotic resistance in bacteria associated with animals fed NTAs and their food products. This resistance spreads to other animals and humans-directly by contact and indirectly via the food chain, water, air, and manured and sludge-fertilized soils. Modern genetic techniques are making advances in deciphering the ecological impact of NTAs, but modeling efforts are thwarted by deficits in key knowledge of microbial and antibiotic loads at each stage of the transmission chain. Still, the substantial and expanding volume of evidence reporting animal-to-human spread of resistant bacteria, including that arising from use of NTAs, supports eliminating NTA use in order to reduce the growing environmental load of resistance genes.201121976606
645710.9997Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance in Agroecosystems: State of the Science. We propose a simple causal model depicting relationships involved in dissemination of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in agroecosystems and potential effects on human health, functioning of natural ecosystems, and agricultural productivity. Available evidence for each causal link is briefly summarized, and key knowledge gaps are highlighted. A lack of quantitative estimates of human exposure to environmental bacteria, in general, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, specifically, is a significant data gap hindering the assessment of effects on human health. The contribution of horizontal gene transfer to resistance in the environment and conditions that might foster the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes into human pathogens also need further research. Existing research has focused heavily on human health effects, with relatively little known about the effects of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance on natural and agricultural ecosystems. The proposed causal model is used to elucidate gaps in knowledge that must be addressed by the research community and may provide a useful starting point for the design and analysis of future research efforts.201627065386
647620.9997Sustainable strategies: Nature-based solutions to tackle antibiotic resistance gene proliferation and improve agricultural productivity and soil quality. The issue of antibiotic resistance is now recognized by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as one of the major problems in human health. Although its effects are evident in the healthcare settings, the root cause should be traced back to the One Health link, extending from animals to the environment. In fact, the use of organic fertilizers in agroecosystems represents one, if not the primary, cause of the introduction of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria into the soil. Since the concentrations of antibiotics introduced into the soil are residual, the agroecosystem has become a perfect environment for the selection and proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The continuous influx of these emerging contaminants (i.e., antibiotics) into the agroecosystem results in the selection and accumulation of ARGs in soil bacteria, occasionally giving rise to multi-resistant bacteria. These bacteria may harbour ARGs related to various antibiotics on their plasmids. In this context, these bacteria can potentially enter the human sphere when individuals consume food from contaminated agroecosystems, leading to the acquisition of multi-resistant bacteria. Once introduced into the nosocomial environment, these bacteria pose a significant threat to human health. In this review, we analyse how the use of digestate as an organic fertilizer can mitigate the spread of ARGs in agroecosystems. Furthermore, we highlight how, according to European guidelines, digestate can be considered a Nature-Based Solution (NBS). This NBS not only has the ability to mitigate the spread of ARGs in agroecosystems but also offers the opportunity to further improve Microbial-Based Solutions (MBS), with the aim of enhancing soil quality and productivity.202438307185
647230.9997Balancing water sustainability and public health goals in the face of growing concerns about antibiotic resistance. Global initiatives are underway to advance the sustainability of urban water infrastructure through measures such as water reuse. However, there are growing concerns that wastewater effluents are enriched in antibiotics, antibiotic resistant bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes, and thus could serve as a contributing factor to growing rates of antibiotic resistance in human infections. Evidence for the role of the water environment as a source and pathway for the spread of antimicrobial resistance is examined and key knowledge gaps are identified with respect to implications for sustainable water systems. Efforts on the part of engineers along with investment in research in epidemiology, risk assessment, water treatment and water delivery could advance current and future sustainable water strategies and help avoid unintended consequences.201424279909
396940.9997Animal antibiotic use has an early but important impact on the emergence of antibiotic resistance in human commensal bacteria. Antibiotic use is known to promote the development of antibiotic resistance, but substantial controversy exists about the impact of agricultural antibiotic use (AAU) on the subsequent emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among humans. AAU for animal growth promotion or for treatment or control of animal diseases generates reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant (AR) bacteria that contaminate animal food products. Mathematical models are an important tool for understanding the potential medical consequences of this increased exposure. We have developed a mathematical model to evaluate factors affecting the prevalence of human commensal AR bacteria that cause opportunistic infections (e.g., enterococci). Our analysis suggests that AAU hastens the appearance of AR bacteria in humans. Our model indicates that the greatest impact occurs very early in the emergence of resistance, when AR bacteria are rare, possibly below the detection limits of current surveillance methods.200211972035
652050.9997Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment: Towards Elucidating the Roles of Bioaerosols in Transmission and Detection of Antibacterial Resistance Genes. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is continuing to grow across the world. Though often thought of as a mostly public health issue, AMR is also a major agricultural and environmental problem. As such, many researchers refer to it as the preeminent One Health issue. Aerial transport of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria via bioaerosols is still poorly understood. Recent work has highlighted the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in bioaerosols. Emissions of AMR bacteria and genes have been detected from various sources, including wastewater treatment plants, hospitals, and agricultural practices; however, their impacts on the broader environment are poorly understood. Contextualizing the roles of bioaerosols in the dissemination of AMR necessitates a multidisciplinary approach. Environmental factors, industrial and medical practices, as well as ecological principles influence the aerial dissemination of resistant bacteria. This article introduces an ongoing project assessing the presence and fate of AMR in bioaerosols across Canada. Its various sub-studies include the assessment of the emissions of antibiotic resistance genes from many agricultural practices, their long-distance transport, new integrative methods of assessment, and the creation of dissemination models over short and long distances. Results from sub-studies are beginning to be published. Consequently, this paper explains the background behind the development of the various sub-studies and highlight their shared aspects.202235884228
663960.9997Environmental Spread of Antibiotic Resistance. Antibiotic resistance represents a global health concern. Soil, water, livestock and plant foods are directly or indirectly exposed to antibiotics due to their agricultural use or contamination. This selective pressure has acted synergistically to bacterial competition in nature to breed antibiotic-resistant (AR) bacteria. Research over the past few decades has focused on the emergence of AR pathogens in food products that can cause disease outbreaks and the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), but One Health approaches have lately expanded the focus to include commensal bacteria as ARG donors. Despite the attempts of national and international authorities of developed and developing countries to reduce the over-prescription of antibiotics to humans and the use of antibiotics as livestock growth promoters, the selective flow of antibiotic resistance transmission from the environment to the clinic (and vice-versa) is increasing. This review focuses on the mechanisms of ARG transmission and the hotspots of antibiotic contamination resulting in the subsequent emergence of ARGs. It follows the transmission of ARGs from farm to plant and animal food products and provides examples of the impact of ARG flow to clinical settings. Understudied and emerging antibiotic resistance selection determinants, such as heavy metal and biocide contamination, are also discussed here.202134071771
664470.9997Altered egos: antibiotic effects on food animal microbiomes. The human food chain begins with upwards of 1,000 species of bacteria that inhabit the intestinal tracts of poultry and livestock. These intestinal denizens are responsible for the health and safety of a major protein source for humans. The use of antibiotics to treat animal diseases was followed by the surprising discovery that antibiotics enhanced food animal growth, and both led to six decades of antibiotic use that has shaped food animal management practices. Perhaps the greatest impact of antibiotic feeding in food animals has been as a selective force in the evolution of their intestinal bacteria, particularly by increasing the prevalence and diversity of antibiotic resistance genes. Future antibiotic use will likely be limited to prudent applications in both human and veterinary medicine. Improved knowledge of antibiotic effects, particularly of growth-promoting antibiotics, will help overcome the challenges of managing animal health and food safety.201425002091
647880.9997Antibiotic resistance in grass and soil. Antibiotic resistance is currently one of the greatest threats to human health. The global overuse of antibiotics in human medicine and in agriculture has resulted in the proliferation and dissemination of a multitude of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Despite a large proportion of antibiotics being used in agriculture, little is understood about how this may contribute to the overall antibiotic resistance crisis. The use of manure in agriculture is a traditional and widespread practice and is essential for returning nutrients to the soil; however, the impact of continuous manure application on the environmental microbiome and resistome is unknown. The use of antibiotics in animal husbandry in therapeutic and sub-therapeutic doses creates a selective pressure for ARGs in the gut microbiome of the animal, which is then excreted in the faeces. Therefore, the application of manure to agricultural land is a potential route for the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from livestock to crops, animals and humans. It is of vital importance to understand the mechanisms behind ARG enrichment and its maintenance both on the plant and within the soil microbiome to mitigate the spread of this resistance to animals and humans. Understanding this link between human health, animal health, plant health and the environment is crucial to inform implementation of new regulations and practice regarding antibiotic use in agriculture and manure application, aimed at ensuring the antibiotic resistance crisis is not aggravated.201930783015
407890.9997Antibiotic resistance in bacteria associated with food animals: a United States perspective of livestock production. The use of antimicrobial compounds in food animal production provides demonstrated benefits, including improved animal health, higher production and, in some cases, reduction in foodborne pathogens. However, use of antibiotics for agricultural purposes, particularly for growth enhancement, has come under much scrutiny, as it has been shown to contribute to the increased prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria of human significance. The transfer of antibiotic resistance genes and selection for resistant bacteria can occur through a variety of mechanisms, which may not always be linked to specific antibiotic use. Prevalence data may provide some perspective on occurrence and changes in resistance over time; however, the reasons are diverse and complex. Much consideration has been given this issue on both domestic and international fronts, and various countries have enacted or are considering tighter restrictions or bans on some types of antibiotic use in food animal production. In some cases, banning the use of growth-promoting antibiotics appears to have resulted in decreases in prevalence of some drug resistant bacteria; however, subsequent increases in animal morbidity and mortality, particularly in young animals, have sometimes resulted in higher use of therapeutic antibiotics, which often come from drug families of greater relevance to human medicine. While it is clear that use of antibiotics can over time result in significant pools of resistance genes among bacteria, including human pathogens, the risk posed to humans by resistant organisms from farms and livestock has not been clearly defined. As livestock producers, animal health experts, the medical community, and government agencies consider effective strategies for control, it is critical that science-based information provide the basis for such considerations, and that the risks, benefits, and feasibility of such strategies are fully considered, so that human and animal health can be maintained while at the same time limiting the risks from antibiotic-resistant bacteria.200717600481
3966100.9997A model of antibiotic resistance genes accumulation through lifetime exposure from food intake and antibiotic treatment. Antimicrobial resistant bacterial infections represent one of the most serious contemporary global healthcare crises. Acquisition and spread of resistant infections can occur through community, hospitals, food, water or endogenous bacteria. Global efforts to reduce resistance have typically focussed on antibiotic use, hygiene and sanitation and drug discovery. However, resistance in endogenous infections, e.g. many urinary tract infections, can result from life-long acquisition and persistence of resistance genes in commensal microbial flora of individual patients, which is not normally considered. Here, using individual based Monte Carlo models calibrated using antibiotic use data and human gut resistomes, we show that the long-term increase in resistance in human gut microbiomes can be substantially lowered by reducing exposure to resistance genes found food and water, alongside reduced medical antibiotic use. Reduced dietary exposure is especially important during patient antibiotic treatment because of increased selection for resistance gene retention; inappropriate use of antibiotics can be directly harmful to the patient being treated for the same reason. We conclude that a holistic approach to antimicrobial resistance that additionally incorporates food production and dietary considerations will be more effective in reducing resistant infections than a purely medical-based approach.202337590256
6680110.9997Antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture: Current knowledge and alternatives to tackle the problem. Aquaculture is a rapidly growing industry that currently accounts for almost half of the fish used for human consumption worldwide. Intensive and semi-intensive practices are used to produce large stocks of fish, but frequent disease outbreaks occur, and the use of antimicrobials has become a customary practice to control them. The selective pressure exerted by these drugs, which are usually present at sub-therapeutic levels for prolonged periods in the water and the sediments, provides ideal conditions for the emergence and selection of resistant bacterial strains and stimulates horizontal gene transfer. It is now widely recognized that the passage of antimicrobial resistance genes and resistant bacteria from aquatic to terrestrial animal husbandry and to the human environment and vice versa can have detrimental effects on both human and animal health and on aquatic ecosystems. A global effort must be made to cease antimicrobial overuse in aquaculture and encourage stakeholders to adopt other disease-prevention measures. Shaping a new path is crucial to containing the increasing threat of antimicrobial resistance.201829567094
6469120.9997From environment to clinic: the role of pesticides in antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in pathogens has been associated mainly with excessive use of antibiotics. Most studies of resistance have focused on clinical pathogens; however, microorganisms are exposed to numerous anthropogenic substances. Few studies have sought to determine the effects of chemical substances on microorganisms. Exposure to these substances may contribute to increased rates of AMR. Understanding microorganism communities in natural environments and AMR mechanisms under the effects of anthropogenic substances, such as pesticides, is important to addressing the current crisis of antimicrobial resistance. This report draws attention to molecules, rather than antibiotics, that are commonly used in agrochemicals and may be involved in developing AMR in non-clinical environments, such as soil. This report examines pesticides as mediators for the appearance of AMR, and as a route for antibiotic resistance genes and antimicrobial resistant bacteria to the anthropic environment. Available evidence suggests that the natural environment may be a key dissemination route for antibiotic-resistant genes. Understanding the interrelationship of soil, water, and pesticides is fundamental to raising awareness of the need for environmental monitoring programs and overcoming the current crisis of AMR.202032973897
6685130.9997Fighting Antibiotic Resistance: Insights Into Human Barriers and New Opportunities: Antibiotic Resistance Constantly Rises With the Development of Human Activities. We discuss Barriers and Opportunities to Get It Under Control. The public health issue of bacterial multi-resistance to antibiotics has gained awareness among the public, researchers, and the pharmaceutical sector. Nevertheless, the spread of antimicrobial resistance has been considerably aggravated by human activities, climate change, and the subsequent increased release of antibiotics, drug-resistant bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes in the environment. The extensive use of antibiotics for medical and veterinary purposes has not only induced increasing resistance but also other health problems, including negative effects on the patient's microbiome. Preventive strategies, new treatment modalities, and increased surveillance are progressively set up. A comprehensive approach is, however, lacking for urgently tackling this adverse situation. To address this challenge, we discussed here the main causes driving antimicrobial resistance and pollution of the environment by factors favorable to the emergence of drug resistance. We next propose some key priorities for research, prevention, surveillance, and education to supervise an effective clinical and sustainable response.202540143711
6468140.9996Impact of anthropogenic activities on the dissemination of antibiotic resistance across ecological boundaries. Antibiotics are considered to be one of the major medical breakthroughs in history. Nonetheless, over the past four decades, antibiotic resistance has reached alarming levels worldwide and this trend is expected to continue to increase, leading some experts to forecast the coming of a 'post-antibiotic' era. Although antibiotic resistance in pathogens is traditionally linked to clinical environments, there is a rising concern that the global propagation of antibiotic resistance is also associated with environmental reservoirs that are linked to anthropogenic activities such as animal husbandry, agronomic practices and wastewater treatment. It is hypothesized that the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) within and between environmental microbial communities can ultimately contribute to the acquisition of antibiotic resistance in human pathogens. Nonetheless, the scope of this phenomenon is not clear due to the complexity of microbial communities in the environment and methodological constraints that limit comprehensive in situ evaluation of microbial genomes. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding antibiotic resistance in non-clinical environments, specifically focusing on the dissemination of antibiotic resistance across ecological boundaries and the contribution of this phenomenon to global antibiotic resistance.201728258226
6485150.9996Hospital Wastewater-Source of Specific Micropollutants, Antibiotic-Resistant Microorganisms, Viruses, and Their Elimination. Municipal wastewaters can generally provide real-time information on drug consumption, the incidence of specific diseases, or establish exposure to certain agents and determine some lifestyle consequences. From this point of view, wastewater-based epidemiology represents a modern diagnostic tool for describing the health status of a certain part of the population in a specific region. Hospital wastewater is a complex mixture of pharmaceuticals, illegal drugs, and their metabolites as well as different susceptible and antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, including viruses. Many studies pointed out that wastewater from healthcare facilities (including hospital wastewater), significantly contributes to higher loads of micropollutants, including bacteria and viruses, in municipal wastewater. In addition, such a mixture can increase the selective pressure on bacteria, thus contributing to the development and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. Because many pharmaceuticals, drugs, and microorganisms can pass through wastewater treatment plants without any significant change in their structure and toxicity and enter surface waters, treatment technologies need to be improved. This short review summarizes the recent knowledge from studies on micropollutants, pathogens, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and viruses (including SARS-CoV-2) in wastewater from healthcare facilities. It also proposes several possibilities for improving the wastewater treatment process in terms of efficiency as well as economy.202134572652
6714160.9996Differential Drivers of Antimicrobial Resistance across the World. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest threats faced by humankind. The development of resistance in clinical and hospital settings has been well documented ever since the initial discovery of penicillin and the subsequent introduction of sulfonamides as clinical antibiotics. In contrast, the environmental (i.e., community-acquired) dimensions of resistance dissemination have been only more recently delineated. The global spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) between air, water, soil, and food is now well documented, while the factors that affect ARB and ARG dissemination (e.g., water and air quality, antibiotic fluxes, urbanization, sanitation practices) in these and other environmental matrices are just now beginning to be more fully appreciated. In this Account, we discuss how the global perpetuation of resistance is dictated by highly interconnected socioeconomic risk factors and illustrate that development status should be more fully considered when developing global strategies to address AMR. We first differentiate low to middle income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs), then we summarize the modes of action of commercially available antibiotics, and then discuss the four primary mechanisms by which bacteria develop resistance to those antibiotics. Resistance is disseminated via both vertical gene transfer (VGT; parent to offspring) as well as by horizontal gene transfer (HGT; cell to cell transference of genetic material). A key challenge hindering attempts to control resistance dissemination is the presence of native, environmental bacteria that can harbor ARGs. Such environmental "resistomes" have potential to transfer resistance to pathogens via HGT. Of particular concern is the development of resistance to antibiotics of last-resort such as the cephalosporins, carbapenems, and polymyxins. We then illustrate how antibiotic use differs in LMICs relative to HICs in terms of the volumes of antibiotics used and their fate within local environments. Antibiotic use in HICs has remained flat over the past 15 years, while in LMICs use over the same period has increased substantially as a result of economic improvements and changes in diet. These use and fate differences impact local citizens and thus the local dissemination of AMR. Various physical, social, and economic circumstances within LMICs potentially favor AMR dissemination. We focus on three physical factors: changing population density, sanitation infrastructure, and solid-waste disposal. We show that high population densities in cities within LMICs that suffer from poor sanitation and solid-waste disposal can potentially impact the dissemination of resistance. In the final section, we discuss potential monitoring approaches to quantify the spread of resistance both within LMICs as well as in HICs. We posit that culture-based approaches, molecular approaches, and cutting-edge nanotechnology-based methods for monitoring ARB and ARGs should be considered both within HICs and, as appropriate, within LMICs.201930848890
6458170.9996Overview of Direct and Indirect Effects of Antibiotics on Terrestrial Organisms. Antibiotics (ABs) have made it possible to treat bacterial infections, which were in the past untreatable and consequently fatal. Regrettably, their use and abuse among humans and livestock led to antibiotic resistance, which has made them ineffective in many cases. The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and bacteria is not limited to nosocomial environments, but also involves water and soil ecosystems. The environmental presence of ABs and ARGs is a hot topic, and their direct and indirect effects, are still not well known or clarified. A particular concern is the presence of antibiotics in agroecosystems due to the application of agro-zootechnical waste (e.g., manure and biosolids), which can introduce antibiotic residues and ARGs to soils. This review provides an insight of recent findings of AB direct and indirect effects on terrestrial organisms, focusing on plant and invertebrates. Possible changing in viability and organism growth, AB bioaccumulation, and shifts in associated microbiome composition are reported. Oxidative stress responses of plants (such as reactive oxygen species production) to antibiotics are also described.202337760767
6477180.9996Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Animal Manure - Consequences of Its Application in Agriculture. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are a relatively new type of pollutant. The rise in antibiotic resistance observed recently is closely correlated with the uncontrolled and widespread use of antibiotics in agriculture and the treatment of humans and animals. Resistant bacteria have been identified in soil, animal feces, animal housing (e.g., pens, barns, or pastures), the areas around farms, manure storage facilities, and the guts of farm animals. The selection pressure caused by the irrational use of antibiotics in animal production sectors not only promotes the survival of existing antibiotic-resistant bacteria but also the development of new resistant forms. One of the most critical hot-spots related to the development and dissemination of ARGs is livestock and poultry production. Manure is widely used as a fertilizer thanks to its rich nutrient and organic matter content. However, research indicates that its application may pose a severe threat to human and animal health by facilitating the dissemination of ARGs to arable soil and edible crops. This review examines the pathogens, potentially pathogenic microorganisms and ARGs which may be found in animal manure, and evaluates their effect on human health through their exposure to soil and plant resistomes. It takes a broader view than previous studies of this topic, discussing recent data on antibiotic use in farm animals and the effect of these practices on the composition of animal manure; it also examines how fertilization with animal manure may alter soil and crop microbiomes, and proposes the drivers of such changes and their consequences for human health.202133854486
6638190.9996Addressing the Antibiotic Resistance Problem with Probiotics: Reducing the Risk of Its Double-Edged Sword Effect. Antibiotic resistance is a global public health problem that requires our attention. Indiscriminate antibiotic use is a major contributor in the introduction of selective pressures in our natural environments that have significantly contributed in the rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant microbial strains. The use of probiotics in lieu of antibiotic therapy to address certain health conditions in both animals and humans may alleviate these antibiotic-mediated selective pressures. Probiotic use is defined as the actual application of live beneficial microbes to obtain a desired outcome by preventing diseased state or improving general health. Multiple studies have confirmed the beneficial effects of probiotic use in the health of both livestock and humans. As such, probiotics consumption is gaining popularity worldwide. However, concerns have been raised in the use of some probiotics strains that carry antibiotic resistance genes themselves, as they have the potential to pass the antibiotic resistance genes to pathogenic bacteria through horizontal gene transfer. Therefore, with the current public health concern on antibiotic resistance globally, in this review, we underscore the need to screen probiotic strains that are used in both livestock and human applications to assure their safety and mitigate their potential in significantly contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in our natural environments.201628018315