Antimicrobials, Multiple Drug Resistance & Antibiotics Resistance

The increase in antibiotic resistance is a global concern for human and animal health. Resistant microorganisms can move between food-producing animals and humans by direct contact, through the food chain or in the environment. An overview of antibiotic use and resistance in food producing animals from diff erent countries provides an essential tool to fi nding solutions to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance. Th e monitoring of antimicrobial use together with resistance rates of indicator E. coli provides an overview, allowing the identifi cation of further regulatory and research needs. Th e established national surveillance of antibiotic resistance is essential in providing comparable data. Scientifi c work provides some AR data

for countries that lack national monitoring, which indicates the prevalence of resistant bacteria. Available data from the US, China, the United Kingdom and Germany indicate minor diff erences in resistance rates among E. coli isolated from chickens on farms, from slaughterhouses and from retail meat. Th e resistance rates to fl uoroquinolones and quinolones are lower in US in comparison to other large poultry producers that allow that use of  fluoroquinolones. Th ese fi ndings demonstrate the possibility to produce poultry without fluoroquinolones, which results in low resistance rates. Th e resistance rates in E. coli to representatives of several antibiotic classes, e.g., tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, streptomycin and ampicillin, are rather high in large poultry producing countries, with the exception of ampicillin resistance in the US.