title: Use of Antibiotics and Antimicrobial Resistance in Veterinary Medicine as Exemplified by the Swine Pathogen Streptococcus suis.
abstract: Use of antimicrobial agents in veterinary medicine is essential to control infectious diseases, thereby keeping animals healthy and animal products safe for the consumer. On the other hand, development and spread of antimicrobial resistance is of major concern for public health. Streptococcus (S.) suis reflects a typical bacterial pathogen in modern swine production due to its facultative pathogenic nature and wide spread in the pig population. Thus, in the present review we focus on certain current aspects and problems related to antimicrobial use and resistance in S. suis as a paradigm for a bacterial pathogen affecting swine husbandry worldwide. The review includes (i) general aspects of antimicrobial use and resistance in veterinary medicine with emphasis on swine, (ii) genetic resistance mechanisms of S. suis known to contribute to bacterial survival under antibiotic selection pressure, and (iii) possible other factors which may contribute to problems in antimicrobial therapy of S. suis infections, such as bacterial persister cell formation, biofilm production, and co-infections. The latter shows that we hardly understand the complexity of factors affecting the success of antimicrobial treatment of (porcine) infectious diseases and underlines the need for further research in this field.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Maren
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seitz
authors.affiliation: Institute for Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173, Hannover, Germany. Peter.Valentin@tiho-hannover.de.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valentin-Weigand
authors.affiliation: Institute for Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Willenborg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D017011:Streptococcus suis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D014730:Veterinary Medicine
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents