TY - JOUR

T1 - Antibiotic resistome in the livestock and aquaculture industries

T2 - Status and solutions

AU - Zhao, Yi

AU - Yang, Qiu E.

AU - Zhou, Xue

AU - Wang, Feng-Hua

AU - Muurinen, Johanna

AU - Virta, Marko P.

AU - Brandt, Kristian Koefoed

AU - Zhu, Yong-Guan

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Since the introduction of antibiotics into clinical practices in the 1940s, antibiotics have become an integral part of animal production to meet the increasing human demand for animal-derived foods. As a result, industrial-scale animal production has emerged as a hotspot for the evolution and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), thereby potentially contributing to a looming public health crisis. The knowledge of ARGs in livestock systems has been greatly expanded with the recent development of rapid molecular tools. However, comprehensive reviews on ARGs in the animal industry and possible mitigation solutions are still lacking from a One Health perspective. Here we provide this review focusing on human health risks associated with the antimicrobial (antibiotic and metal) usages, ARGs in livestock animals and aquaculture systems in a One Health perspective to untangle the complexities of ARGs across animals, environments and humans. Specifically, this review covers (1) antimicrobials usages in the animal industry, (2) ARGs in animals affected by selective agents, (3) animal-to-human direct/indirect ARG transmission pathways, and (4) mitigation approaches. We highlighted the burden of using antimicrobials in animals for public and environmental health, and also the urgent needs for mitigating the spread of antibiotic resistance from the livestock and aquaculture industries.

AB - Since the introduction of antibiotics into clinical practices in the 1940s, antibiotics have become an integral part of animal production to meet the increasing human demand for animal-derived foods. As a result, industrial-scale animal production has emerged as a hotspot for the evolution and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), thereby potentially contributing to a looming public health crisis. The knowledge of ARGs in livestock systems has been greatly expanded with the recent development of rapid molecular tools. However, comprehensive reviews on ARGs in the animal industry and possible mitigation solutions are still lacking from a One Health perspective. Here we provide this review focusing on human health risks associated with the antimicrobial (antibiotic and metal) usages, ARGs in livestock animals and aquaculture systems in a One Health perspective to untangle the complexities of ARGs across animals, environments and humans. Specifically, this review covers (1) antimicrobials usages in the animal industry, (2) ARGs in animals affected by selective agents, (3) animal-to-human direct/indirect ARG transmission pathways, and (4) mitigation approaches. We highlighted the burden of using antimicrobials in animals for public and environmental health, and also the urgent needs for mitigating the spread of antibiotic resistance from the livestock and aquaculture industries.

KW - Antibiotic

KW - antibiotic resistance

KW - antibiotic resistance genes

KW - HORIZONTAL GENE-TRANSFER

KW - HUMAN HEALTH-RISK

KW - RESISTANCE GENES

KW - ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE

KW - WASTE-WATER

KW - ANAEROBIC-DIGESTION

KW - BACTERIAL COMMUNITY

KW - STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS

KW - MICROBIAL COMMUNITY

KW - AGRICULTURAL SOILS

U2 - 10.1080/10643389.2020.1777815

DO - 10.1080/10643389.2020.1777815

M3 - Review

VL - 51

SP - 2159

EP - 2196

JO - Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology

JF - Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology

SN - 1064-3389

IS - 19

ER -