Industrial food animal production, antimicrobial resistance, and human health

Annu Rev Public Health. 2008:29:151-69. doi: 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090904.

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health crisis, eroding the discovery of antimicrobials and their application to clinical medicine. There is a general lack of knowledge of the importance of agricultural antimicrobial use as a factor in antimicrobial resistance even among experts in medicine and public health. This review focuses on agricultural antimicrobial drug use as a major driver of antimicrobial resistance worldwide for four reasons: It is the largest use of antimicrobials worldwide; much of the use of antimicrobials in agriculture results in subtherapeutic exposures of bacteria; drugs of every important clinical class are utilized in agriculture; and human populations are exposed to antimicrobial-resistant pathogens via consumption of animal products as well as through widespread release into the environment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animal Feed
  • Animal Husbandry / methods*
  • Animal Husbandry / standards
  • Animals
  • Anti-Infective Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Anti-Infective Agents / adverse effects
  • Drug Resistance, Microbial*
  • Environmental Pollution
  • Food Additives
  • Food Supply*
  • Global Health
  • Humans
  • Meat / adverse effects
  • Public Health

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Food Additives