# | Rank | Similarity | Title + Abs. | Year | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 4115 | 0 | 0.9994 | Antibiotic Use for Growth Promotion in Animals: Ecologic and Public Health Consequences. Antibiotics have successfully treated infectious diseases in man, animals and agricultural plants. However, one consequence of usage at any level, subtherapeutic or therapeutic, has been selection of microorganisms resistant to these valuable agents. Today clinicians worldwide face singly resistant and multiply resistant bacteria which complicate treatment of even common infectious agents. This situation calls for a critical evaluation of the numerous ways in which antibiotics are being used so as to evaluate benefits and risks. About half of the antibiotics produced in the United States arc used in animals, chiefly in subtherapeutic amounts for growth promotion. This usage is for prolonged periods leading to selection of multiply-resistant bacteria which enter a common environmental pool. From there, resistance determinants from different sources spread from one bacterium to another, from one animal host to another, from one area to another. The same resistance determinants have been traced to many different genera associated with humans, animals and foods where they pose a continued threat to public health. Since alternative measures for growth promotion, such as antimicrobials which are not used for human therapy and which do not select for multiple-resistances are available, their use, instead of antibiotics, would remove a major factor contributing to the environmental pool of transferable resistance genes. | 1987 | 30965484 |
| 4060 | 1 | 0.9994 | Current status of antibiotic resistance in animal production. It is generally accepted that the more antibiotics we use, the faster bacteria will develop resistance. Further it has been more or less accepted that once an antibiotic is withdrawn from the clinic, the resistance genes will eventually disappear, [table: see text] since they will no more be of any survival value for the bacterial cell. However, recent research has shown that after a long time period of exposure to antibiotics, certain bacterial species may adapt to this environment in such a way that they keep their resistance genes stably also after the removal of antibiotics. Thus, there is reason to believe that once resistance has developed it will not even in the long term be eradicated. What then can we do not to increase further the already high level of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in animals? We should of course encourage a prudent use of these valuable drugs. In Sweden antibiotics are not used for growth promoting purposes and are available only after veterinary prescription on strict indications. Generally, antimicrobial treatment of animals on individual or on herd basis should not be considered unless in connection with relevant diagnostics. The amounts of antibiotics used and the development of resistance in important pathogens should be closely monitored. Furthermore, resistance monitoring in certain non-pathogenic intestinal bacteria, which may serve as a reservoir for resistance genes is probably more important than hitherto anticipated. Once the usage of or resistance to a certain antibiotic seems to increase in an alarming way, steps should be taken to limit the usage of the drug in order to prevent further spread of resistance genes in animals, humans and the environment. Better methods for detecting and quantifying antibiotic resistance have to be developed. Screening methods must be standardized and evaluated in order to obtain comparable and reliable results from different countries. The genetic mechanisms for development of resistance and spread of resistance genes should be studied in detail. Research in these areas will lead to new ideas on how to inhibit the resistance mechanisms. So far, it has been well established that a heavy antimicrobial drug selective pressure in overcrowded populations of production animals creates favourable environments both for the emergence and the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. | 1999 | 10783714 |
| 4078 | 2 | 0.9994 | Antibiotic 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. | 2007 | 17600481 |
| 4335 | 3 | 0.9994 | Veterinary drug usage and antimicrobial resistance in bacteria of animal origin. In the production of food animals, large amounts of antimicrobial agents are used for therapy and prophylaxis of bacterial infections and in feed to promote growth. There are large variations in the amounts of antimicrobial agents used to produce the same amount of meat among the different European countries, which leaves room for considerable reductions in some countries. The emergence of resistant bacteria and resistance genes due to the use of antimicrobial agents are well documented. In Denmark it has been possible to reduce the usage of antimicrobial agents for food animals significantly and in general decreases in resistance have followed. Guidelines for prudent use of antimicrobial agents may help to slow down the selection for resistance and should be based on knowledge regarding the normal susceptibility patterns of the causative agents and take into account the potential problems for human health. Current knowledge regarding the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in food animals, the quantitative impact of the use of different antimicrobial agents on selection of resistance and the most appropriate treatment regimes to limit the development of resistance is incomplete. Programmes monitoring the occurrence and development of resistance and consumption of antimicrobial agents are strongly desirable, as is research into the most appropriate ways to use antimicrobial agents in veterinary medicine. | 2005 | 15755309 |
| 4200 | 4 | 0.9994 | Antibiotic resistance: are we all doomed? Antibiotic resistance is a growing and worrying problem associated with increased deaths and suffering for people. Overall, there are only two factors that drive antimicrobial resistance, and both can be controlled. These factors are the volumes of antimicrobials used and the spread of resistant micro-organisms and/or the genes encoding for resistance. The One Health concept is important if we want to understand better and control antimicrobial resistance. There are many things we can do to better control antimicrobial resistance. We need to prevent infections. We need to have better surveillance with good data on usage patterns and resistance patterns available across all sectors, both human and agriculture, locally and internationally. We need to act on these results when we see either inappropriate usage or resistance levels rising in bacteria that are of concern for people. We need to ensure that food and water sources do not spread multi-resistant micro-organisms or resistance genes. We need better approaches to restrict successfully what and how antibiotics are used in people. We need to restrict the use of 'critically important' antibiotics in food animals and the entry of these drugs into the environment. We need to ensure that 'One Health' concept is not just a buzz word but implemented. We need to look at all sectors and control not only antibiotic use but also the spread and development of antibiotic resistant bacteria - both locally and internationally. | 2015 | 26563691 |
| 4117 | 5 | 0.9994 | Evidence of an association between use of anti-microbial agents in food animals and anti-microbial resistance among bacteria isolated from humans and the human health consequences of such resistance. Several lines of evidence indicate that the use of anti-microbial agents in food animals is associated with anti-microbial resistance among bacteria isolated from humans. The use of anti-microbial agents in food animals is most clearly associated with anti-microbial resistance among Salmonella and Campylobacter isolated from humans, but also appears likely among enterococci, Escherichia coli and other bacteria. Evidence is also accumulating that the anti-microbial resistance among bacteria isolated from humans could be the result of using anti-microbial agents in food animals and is leading to human health consequences. These human health consequences include: (i) infections that would not have otherwise occurred and (ii) increased frequency of treatment failures and increased severity of infection. Increased severity of infection includes longer duration of illness, increased frequency of bloodstream infections, increased hospitalization and increased mortality. Continued work and research efforts will provide more evidence to explain the connection between the use of anti-microbial agents in food animals and anti-microbial-resistant infections in humans. One particular focus, which would solidify this connection, is to understand the factors that dictate spread of resistance determinants, especially resistant genes. With continued efforts on the part of the medical, veterinary and public health community, such research may contribute to more precise guidelines on the use of anti-microbials in food animals. | 2004 | 15525369 |
| 4188 | 6 | 0.9994 | Use of antimicrobial agents in aquaculture. The aquaculture industry has grown dramatically, and plays an important role in the world's food supply chain. Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria associated with food animals receives much attention, and drug use in aquaculture is also an important issue. There are many differences between aquatic and terrestrial management systems, such as the methods used for administration of drugs. Unique problems are related to the application of drugs in aquatic environments. Residual drugs in fish products can affect people who consume them, and antimicrobials released into aquatic environments can select for resistant bacteria. Moreover, these antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, or their resistance genes, can be transferred to humans. To decrease the risks associated with the use of antimicrobials, various regulations have been developed. In addition, it is necessary to prevent bacterial diseases in aquatic animals by vaccination, to improve culture systems, and to monitor the amount of antimicrobial drugs used and the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. | 2012 | 22849275 |
| 3970 | 7 | 0.9994 | Antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and resistance genes in aquaculture: risks, current concern, and future thinking. Aquaculture is remarkably one of the most promising industries among the food-producing industries in the world. Aquaculture production as well as fish consumption per capita have been dramatically increasing over the past two decades. Shifting of culture method from semi-intensive to intensive technique and applying of antibiotics to control the disease outbreak are the major factors for the increasing trend of aquaculture production. Antibiotics are usually present at subtherapeutic levels in the aquaculture environment, which increases the selective pressure to the resistant bacteria and stimulates resistant gene transfer in the aquatic environment. It is now widely documented that antibiotic resistance genes and resistant bacteria are transported from the aquatic environment to the terrestrial environment and may pose adverse effects on human and animal health. However, data related to antibiotic usage and bacterial resistance in aquaculture is very limited or even absent in major aquaculture-producing countries. In particular, residual levels of antibiotics in fish and shellfish are not well documented. Recently, some of the countries have already decided the maximum residue levels (MRLs) of antibiotics in fish muscle or skin; however, many antibiotics are yet not to be decided. Therefore, an urgent universal effort needs to be taken to monitor antibiotic concentration and resistant bacteria particularly multiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria and to assess the associated risks in aquaculture. Finally, we suggest to take an initiative to make a uniform antibiotic registration process, to establish the MRLs for fish/shrimp and to ensure the use of only aquaculture antibiotics in fish and shellfish farming globally. | 2022 | 35028843 |
| 4019 | 8 | 0.9994 | Antimicrobial resistance in humans, livestock and the wider environment. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans is inter-linked with AMR in other populations, especially farm animals, and in the wider environment. The relatively few bacterial species that cause disease in humans, and are the targets of antibiotic treatment, constitute a tiny subset of the overall diversity of bacteria that includes the gut microbiota and vast numbers in the soil. However, resistance can pass between these different populations; and homologous resistance genes have been found in pathogens, normal flora and soil bacteria. Farm animals are an important component of this complex system: they are exposed to enormous quantities of antibiotics (despite attempts at reduction) and act as another reservoir of resistance genes. Whole genome sequencing is revealing and beginning to quantify the two-way traffic of AMR bacteria between the farm and the clinic. Surveillance of bacterial disease, drug usage and resistance in livestock is still relatively poor, though improving, but achieving better antimicrobial stewardship on the farm is challenging: antibiotics are an integral part of industrial agriculture and there are very few alternatives. Human production and use of antibiotics either on the farm or in the clinic is but a recent addition to the natural and ancient process of antibiotic production and resistance evolution that occurs on a global scale in the soil. Viewed in this way, AMR is somewhat analogous to climate change, and that suggests that an intergovernmental panel, akin to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, could be an appropriate vehicle to actively address the problem. | 2015 | 25918441 |
| 4213 | 9 | 0.9994 | Fluoroquinolone resistance of Escherichia coli and Salmonella from healthy livestock and poultry in the EU. The potential for transmission of antibiotic-resistant enteric zoonotic bacteria from animals to humans has been a public health concern for several decades. Bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance genes found in the intestinal tract of food animals can contaminate carcasses and may lead to food-borne disease in humans that may not respond to antibiotic treatment. It is consequently important to monitor changes in antimicrobial susceptibility of zoonotic and commensal organism; in this context, there are a number of veterinary monitoring programmes that collect bacteria in food-producing animals at slaughter and determine their susceptibility against antibiotics relevant for human medicine. The data generated are part of the risk analysis for potential food-borne transmission of resistance. There has been much debate about the use of fluoroquinolones in veterinary medicine, and so, this review will consider the fluoroquinolone data from two surveys and compare them to national surveillance programmes. At the outset, it must be pointed out that there is, however, a lack of agreement between several programmes on what is meant by the term 'fluoroquinolone resistance' through use of different definitions of resistance and different resistance breakpoints. An additional aim of this paper is to clarify some of those definitions. Despite the debate about the contribution of antibiotic use in veterinary medicine to the overall resistance development in human pathogens, the data suggest that clinical resistance to fluoroquinolones in Escherichia coli and nontyphoidal Salmonella is generally uncommon, except for a few countries. Ongoing surveillance will continue to monitor the situation and identify whether this situation changes within the respective animal populations. For the benefit of both the epidemiologist and the clinician, it would be strongly advantageous that national monitoring surveys report both percentages of clinical resistance and decreased susceptibility. | 2012 | 22066763 |
| 4116 | 10 | 0.9994 | Does the use of antibiotics in food animals pose a risk to human health? A critical review of published data. The use of antibiotics in food animals selects for bacteria resistant to antibiotics used in humans, and these might spread via the food to humans and cause human infection, hence the banning of growth-promoters. The actual danger seems small, and there might be disadvantages to human and to animal health. The low dosages used for growth promotion are an unquantified hazard. Although some antibiotics are used both in animals and humans, most of the resistance problem in humans has arisen from human use. Resistance can be selected in food animals, and resistant bacteria can contaminate animal-derived food, but adequate cooking destroys them. How often they colonize the human gut, and transfer resistance genes is not known. In zoonotic salmonellosis, resistance may arise in animals or humans, but human cross-infection is common. The case of campylobacter infection is less clear. The normal human faecal flora can contain resistant enterococci, but indistinguishable strains in animals and man are uncommon, possibly because most animal enterococci do not establish themselves in the human intestine. There is no correlation between the carriage of resistant enterococci of possible animal origin and human infection with resistant strains. Commensal Escherichia coli also exhibits host-animal preferences. Anti-Gram-positive growth promoters would be expected to have little effect on most Gram-negative organisms. Even if resistant pathogens do reach man, the clinical consequences of resistance may be small. The application of the 'precautionary principle' is a non-scientific approach that assumes that risk assessments will be carried out. | 2004 | 14657094 |
| 4215 | 11 | 0.9994 | Antibiotic usage in animals: impact on bacterial resistance and public health. Antibiotic use whether for therapy or prevention of bacterial diseases, or as performance enhancers will result in antibiotic resistant micro-organisms, not only among pathogens but also among bacteria of the endogenous microflora of animals. The extent to which antibiotic use in animals will contribute to the antibiotic resistance in humans is still under much debate. In addition to the veterinary use of antibiotics, the use of these agents as antimicrobial growth promoters (AGP) greatly influences the prevalence of resistance in animal bacteria and a poses risk factor for the emergence of antibiotic resistance in human pathogens. Antibiotic resistant bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and enterococci from animals can colonise or infect the human population via contact (occupational exposure) or via the food chain. Moreover, resistance genes can be transferred from bacteria of animals to human pathogens in the intestinal flora of humans. In humans, the control of resistance is based on hygienic measures: prevention of cross contamination and a decrease in the usage of antibiotics. In food animals housed closely together, hygienic measures, such as prevention of oral-faecal contact, are not feasible. Therefore, diminishing the need for antibiotics is the only possible way of controlling resistance in large groups of animals. This can be achieved by improvement of animal husbandry systems, feed composition and eradication of or vaccination against infectious diseases. Moreover, abolishing the use of antibiotics as feed additives for growth promotion in animals bred as a food source for humans would decrease the use of antibiotics in animals on a worldwide scale by nearly 50%. This would not only diminish the public health risk of dissemination of resistant bacteria or resistant genes from animals to humans, but would also be of major importance in maintaining the efficacy of antibiotics in veterinary medicine. | 1999 | 10551432 |
| 4125 | 12 | 0.9994 | The epidemiology of antibiotic resistance in hospitals: paradoxes and prescriptions. A simple mathematical model of bacterial transmission within a hospital was used to study the effects of measures to control nosocomial transmission of bacteria and reduce antimicrobial resistance in nosocomial pathogens. The model predicts that: (i) Use of an antibiotic for which resistance is not yet present in a hospital will be positively associated at the individual level (odds ratio) with carriage of bacteria resistant to other antibiotics, but negatively associated at the population level (prevalence). Thus inferences from individual risk factors can yield misleading conclusions about the effect of antibiotic use on resistance to another antibiotic. (ii) Nonspecific interventions that reduce transmission of all bacteria within a hospital will disproportionately reduce the prevalence of colonization with resistant bacteria. (iii) Changes in the prevalence of resistance after a successful intervention will occur on a time scale of weeks to months, considerably faster than in community-acquired infections. Moreover, resistance can decline rapidly in a hospital even if it does not carry a fitness cost. The predictions of the model are compared with those of other models and published data. The implications for resistance control and study design are discussed, along with the limitations and assumptions of the model. | 2000 | 10677558 |
| 4228 | 13 | 0.9993 | Resistance to antibiotics in the normal flora of animals. The normal bacterial flora contains antibiotic resistance genes to various degrees, even in individuals with no history of exposure to commercially prepared antibiotics. Several factors seem to increase the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in feces. One important factor is the exposure of the intestinal flora to antibacterial drugs. Antibiotics used as feed additives seem to play an important role in the development of antibiotic resistance in normal flora bacteria. The use of avoparcin as a feed additive has demonstrated that an antibiotic considered "safe" is responsible for increased levels of antibiotic resistance in the normal flora enterococci of animals fed with avoparcin and possibly in humans consuming products from these animals. However, other factors like stress from temperature, crowding, and management also seem to contribute to the occurrence of antibiotic resistance in normal flora bacteria. The normal flora of animals has been studied with respect to the development of antibiotic resistance over four decades, but there are few studies with the intestinal flora as the main focus. The results of earlier studies are valuable when focused against the recent understanding of mobile genetics responsible for bacterial antibiotic resistance. New studies should be undertaken to assess whether the development of antibiotic resistance in the normal flora is directly linked to the dramatic increase in antibiotic resistance of bacterial pathogens. Bacteria of the normal flora, often disregarded scientifically, should be studied with the intention of using them as active protection against infectious diseases and thereby contributing to the overall reduction of use of antibioties in both animals and humans. | 2001 | 11432415 |
| 4118 | 14 | 0.9993 | Antimicrobial resistance in livestock. Antimicrobial resistance may become a major problem in veterinary medicine as a consequence of the intensive use and misuse of antimicrobial drugs. Related problems are now arising in human medicine, such as the appearance of multi-resistant food-borne pathogens. Product characteristics, dose, treatment interval and duration of treatment influence the selection pressure for antimicrobial drug resistance. There are theoretical, experimental and clinical indications that the emergence of de novo resistance in a pathogenic population can be prevented by minimizing the time that suboptimal drug levels are present in the infected tissue compartment. Until recently, attention has been focused on target pathogens. However, it should be kept in mind that when antimicrobial drugs are used in an individual, resistance selection mainly affects the normal body flora. In the long term, this is at least equally important as resistance selection in the target pathogens, as the horizontal transfer of resistance genes converts almost all pathogenic bacteria into potential recipients for antimicrobial resistance. Other factors contributing to the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance are the localization and size of the microbial population, and the age, immunity and contact intensity of the host. In livestock, dynamic herd-related resistance patterns have been observed in different animal species. | 2003 | 12667177 |
| 4053 | 15 | 0.9993 | Evidence for the circulation of antimicrobial-resistant strains and genes in nature and especially between humans and animals. The concern over antibiotic-resistant bacteria producing human infections that are difficult to treat has led to a proliferation of studies in recent years investigating resistance in livestock, food products, the environment and people, as well as in the mechanisms of transfer of the genetic elements of resistance between bacteria, and the routes, or risk pathways, by which the spread of resistance might occur. The possibility of transfer of resistant genetic elements between bacteria in mixed populations adds many additional and complex potential routes of spread. There is now considerable evidence that transfer of antimicrobial resistance from food-producing animals to humans directly via the food chain is a likely route of spread. The application of animal wastes to farmland and subsequent leaching into watercourses has also been shown to lead to many potential, but less well-documented, pathways for spread. Often, however, where contamination of water sources, processed foods, and other environmental sites is concerned, specific routes of circulation are unclear and may well involve human sources of contamination. Examination of water sources in particular may be difficult due to dilution and their natural flow. Also, as meat is comparatively easy to examine, and is frequently suspected of being a source of spread, there is some bias in favour of studying this vehicle. Such complexities mean that, with the evidence currently available, it is not possible to prioritise the importance of potential risk pathways and circulation routes. | 2012 | 22849279 |
| 3971 | 16 | 0.9993 | Monitoring and identifying antibiotic resistance mechanisms in bacteria. Sub-therapeutic administration of antibiotics to animals is under intense scrutiny because they contribute to the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria into the food chain. Studies suggest that there is a link between the agricultural use of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant human infections. Antibiotic-resistant organisms from animal and human wastes reenter the human and animal populations through a number of pathways including natural waters, irrigation water, drinking water, and vegetables and foods. Antibiotic usage in the United States for animal production (disease prevention and growth promotion) is estimated to be 18 million pounds annually. As much as 25 to 75% of the antibiotics administered to feedlot animals are excreted unaltered in feces. Because about 180 million dry tons of livestock and poultry waste is generated annually in the United States, it is not surprising that animal-derived antibiotic-resistant organisms are found contaminating groundwater, surface water, and food crops. It is extremely important to clearly understand the molecular mechanisms that could potentially cause lateral or horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria. Once the mechanisms and magnitude of resistance gene transfer are clearly understood and quantified, strategies can be instituted to reduce the potential for dissemination of these genes. | 2003 | 12710483 |
| 4211 | 17 | 0.9993 | Monitoring of antimicrobial resistance among food animals: principles and limitations. Large amounts of antimicrobial agents are in the production of food animals used for therapy and prophylactics of bacterial infections and in feed to promote growth. The use of antimicrobial agents causes problems in the therapy of infections through the selection for resistance among bacteria pathogenic for animals or humans. Current knowledge regarding the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in food animals, the quantitative impact of the use of different antimicrobial agents on selection for resistance and the most appropriate treatment regimes to limit the development of resistance is incomplete. Programmes monitoring the occurrence and development of resistance are essential to determine the most important areas for intervention and to monitor the effects of interventions. When designing a monitoring programme it is important to decide on the purpose of the programme. Thus, there are major differences between programmes designed to detect changes in a national population, individual herds or groups of animals. In addition, programmes have to be designed differently according to whether the aim is to determine changes in resistance for all antimicrobial agents or only the antimicrobial agents considered most important in relation to treatment of humans. In 1995 a continuous surveillance for antimicrobial resistance among bacteria isolated from food animals was established in Denmark. Three categories of bacteria, indicator bacteria, zoonotic bacteria and animal pathogens are continuously isolated from broilers, cattle and pigs and tested for susceptibility to antimicrobial agents used for therapy and growth promotion by disc diffusion or minimal inhibitory concentration determinations. This programme will only detect changes on a national level. However, isolating the bacteria and testing for several antimicrobial agents will enable us to determine the effect of linkage of resistance. Since 1995 major differences in the consumption pattern of different antimicrobial agents have occurred in Denmark. The Danish monitoring programme has enabled us to determine the effect of these changes on the occurrence of resistance. The Danish monitoring is, however, not suited to determine changes on a herd level or to detect emergence of new types of resistance only occurring at a low level. | 2004 | 15525370 |
| 4114 | 18 | 0.9993 | Antimicrobial resistance and the food chain. The extent to which antibiotics given to animals contribute to the overall problem of antibiotic resistance in man is still uncertain. The development of resistance in some human pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is linked to the use of antimicrobials in man and there is no evidence for animal involvement. However, there are several good examples of transfer of resistant bacteria or bacterial resistance genes from animals to man via the food chain. A bacterial ecosystem exists with simple and complex routes of transfer of resistance genes between the bacterial populations; in addition to transfer of organisms from animals to man, there is also evidence of resistance genes spilling back from humans into the animal population. This is important because of the amplification that can occur in animal populations. The most important factor in the selection of resistant bacteria is generally agreed to be usage of antimicrobial agents and in general, there is a close association between the quantities of antimicrobials used and the rate of development of resistance. The use of antimicrobials is not restricted to animal husbandry but also occurs in horticulture (for example, aminoglycosides in apple growing) and in some other industrial processes such as oil production. | 2002 | 12000617 |
| 4113 | 19 | 0.9993 | Antimicrobial resistance and the food chain. The extent to which antibiotics given to animals contribute to the overall problem of antibiotic resistance in man is still uncertain. The development of resistance in some human pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is linked to the use of antimicrobials in man and there is no evidence for animal involvement. However, there are several good examples of transfer of resistant bacteria or bacterial resistance genes from animals to man via the food chain. A bacterial ecosystem exists with simple and complex routes of transfer of resistance genes between the bacterial populations; in addition to transfer of organisms from animals to man, there is also evidence of resistance genes spilling back from humans into the animal population. This is important because of the amplification that can occur in animal populations. The most important factor in the selection of resistant bacteria is generally agreed to be usage of antimicrobial agents and in general, there is a close association between the quantities of antimicrobials used and the rate of development of resistance. The use of antimicrobials is not restricted to animal husbandry but also occurs in horticulture (for example, aminoglycosides in apple growing) and in some other industrial processes such as oil production. | 2002 | 12481833 |