Chapter 1 - Introduction to Antimicrobial-Resistant Foodborne Pathogens

Abstract

The discovery of antimicrobial agents in the mid-twentieth century revolutionized the management and treatment of bacterial infections. Infections that would normally have been fatal became curable. Ever since then, antimicrobial agents have saved the lives of millions of people. These gains are now seriously jeopardized by the rapid emergence and spread of microbes that are resistant to antimicrobials. Moreover, the emergence of antimicrobial resistance is accompanied with a decline in the discovery of new antimicrobial agents. We are facing the possibility of a future without effective antibiotics for some infections and a scenario where infections that hitherto were considered harmless are now a serious health problem and a major cause of morbidity and mortality, together with major financial and social repercussions. In this chapter, the term antimicrobial resistance will be defined, and the ways it spreads among foodborne pathogens will be described.