Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria from food-producing animals. risk management tools and strategies.
The application of antimicrobial agents has proved to be the main risk factor for development, selection and spread of antimicrobial resistance. This link applies to the use of antimicrobial agents in human and in veterinary medicine. Furthermore, antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and resistant genes can be transmitted from animals to humans either by direct contact or via the food chain. In this context, risk management has to be discussed regarding prevention and control of the already existing antimicrobial resistance. One of the primary risk management measures in order to control the development and spread of antimicrobial resistances is by regulating the use of antimicrobial agents and subjecting their use to guidelines. Thereby, the occurrence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the human and veterinary habitat can be controlled to a certain degree. There is little information about past attempts to prevent the development of resistances or to control them, and even less is known about the effectiveness or the cost intensiveness of such efforts. Most of the strategies focus on preventing and controlling antimicrobial resistance by means of the reduction or limitation of the use of antimicrobial agents in food-producing animals.
Grugel
C
C
Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL), Bonn, Germany. christian.grugel@bvl.bund.de
Wallmann
J
J
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005062:European Union; D005516:Food Microbiology; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D012308:Risk Management