Antibiotics In Livestock Farming Research Articles

Does internet usage drive antibiotic reduction in China's livestock industry? Evidence from Chinese duck farmers

The reduction of antibiotics in livestock farming is of great significance for ensuring the safety of meat-derived food and reducing farming pollution. Agricultural technology extension can precisely, efficiently, and cost-effectively provide frontline concepts and technologies for antibiotic reduction to farmers. However, there is still a lack of empirical evidence on the impact of Internet usage on antibiotic reduction among farmers. Based on survey data from 1005 duck farmers in 9 provinces across China, this study empirically analyzes the impact of Internet usage on the reduction of antibiotics among duck farmers and its underlying mechanisms. The results indicate that Internet usage significantly affects antibiotic reduction among farmers, a conclusion that holds true after endogeneity testing and robustness testing. Cognition of ecological benefits and cognition of health benefits are crucial pathways for promoting antibiotic reduction in farming, and Internet usage significantly enhances farmers' cognition of ecological and health benefits. Regarding information effectiveness, technical training exhibits complementary effects on Internet usage. The marginal effects of Internet usage on antibiotic reduction among farmers are significantly enhanced when the quantity and quality of family labor are at a medium level or higher. Internet usage has a substantial impact on antibiotic reduction among farmers when the quantity of family labor is at a medium level or higher, and information effectiveness can effectively promote antibiotic reduction in farming. There is no apparent heterogeneity in the impact of information effectiveness on antibiotic reduction among farmers of different quality groups.

Selective screening Lactobacillus spp. against Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium and optimizing a cane molasses-based medium with Lactobacillus acidophilus as a guiding model

BackgroundThe overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming has led to the emergence of antibiotic resistance, which poses a significant threat to human health. Probiotics have gained increasing popularity as an alternative to antibiotics, prompting the exploration of cost-effective fermentation substrates for large-scale production. MethodsThis work aimed to investigate the antimicrobial effect of probiotics lactic acid bacteria (LAB) against various pathogenic bacterial strains (e.g. S. Typhimurium O66, S. Typhimurium S251, E. coli O78:K80 and E. coli O157:H7). A total of 28 bacterial isolates were obtained from fermented food sources, in conjunction with 12 identified LAB strains, were screened for antimicrobial activity using microdilution broth method. The chosen probiotic strain, Lactobacillus acidophilus, was subsequently cultivated in a medium formulated with cane molasses to assess its suitability for probiotic production. Significant findingsThe results demonstrated that most LAB strains inhibited S. Typhimurium and E. coli by over 90 %. In the optimized cane molasses-based medium containing 16.02 % (v/v) molasses, 10 g/L (w/v) yeast extract with pH of 6.6, a cell dry weight (CDW) of 3.63 g/L of L. acidophilus was achieved. Therefore, cane molasses emerged as a promising alternative carbon source for LAB biomass production, offering the potential to reduce production costs while minimizing waste generation.

Occurrence and persistence of antibiotics administered to cattle in a newly established feedlot.

The practice of using therapeutic and prophylacticveterinary antibiotics in livestock farming is a worldwide phenomenon. Over the last decade, there has been a growing concern of antibiotic residues entering the environment via animal manure. Similar studies have focused on the occurrence and biological effects of antibiotics in land-applied animal feedlots; however, limited research has been conducted on the occurrence and persistence of antibiotics in animal feedlots. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate antibiotic persistence, fate, and transport in surface water runoff and feedlot sediment in feedlot pens with livestock either receiving or not receiving antibiotic treatments through injection and feed. The two antibiotics (tylosin and monensin) added to animal feed were observed to persist in the soil environment for more than 30days along with injected florfenicol. Monensin (5.6× higher) and tylosin (20× higher) were significantly higher in livestock pens receiving antibiotics compared to livestock pens not receiving the antibiotics. Further, rainfall was observed to significantly impact soil surface concentrations of florfenicol. Other antibiotics administrated by injection were not observed to statistically increase in concentrations in runoff or feedlot sediment. Our findings emphasize antibiotics administered in feedlots have the potential to persist and remain in feedlot sediment and runoff, particularly in instances of regular administration in feed.

Antibiotics in Raw Meat Samples: Estimation of Dietary Exposure and Risk Assessment.

The extensive use of antibiotics in livestock farming poses increased concerns for human health as residues of these substances are present in edible tissues. The aim of this study was the determination of the levels of four groups of antibiotics (sulfonamides—SAs, tetracyclines—TCs, streptomycines—STr and quinolones—QNLs) in meat samples (muscles, livers and kidneys from beef, chicken and pork) and the estimation of the dietary exposure to antibiotics from meat consumption and the potential hazard for human health. Fifty-four samples of raw meat were randomly collected in 2018 from the Cretan market, Greece and analyzed both with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS). According to the results derived from the ELISA method, only 2% of the meat samples were free from antibiotics, 2% were detected with 4 antibiotics and the great majority of the samples (87%) were detected with 2 to 3 antibiotics. SAs presented the highest detection frequencies for all samples whereas TCs were not detected in any bovine sample. The highest median concentration was detected for STr in bovine muscles (182.10 μg/kg) followed by QNLs (93.36 μg/kg) in pork kidneys whereas the chicken samples had higher burdens of QNLs compared to the other meat samples. LC–MS analysis showed that oxytetracycline (OTC) was the most common antibiotic in all samples. The highest median concentration of all antibiotics was detected for doxycycline (DOX) (181.73 μg/kg in pork kidney) followed by OTC in bovine liver (74.46 μg/kg). Risk characterization was applied for each of the two methods; The hazard quotients (HQ) did not exceed 0.059 for the ELISA method and 0.113 for the LC–MS method for any group of antibiotics, whereas the total hazard indexes (HI) were 0.078 and 0.021, respectively. The results showed the presence of different groups of antibiotics in meat from the Cretan market and that the health risk to antibiotics is low. A risk assessment analysis conducted for meat consumption and corrected for the aggregated exposure revealed no risk for the consumers.

Tolerance of soil bacterial community to tetracycline antibiotics induced by As, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, and Pb pollution

Abstract. The widespread use of both heavy metals and antibiotics in livestock farming, followed by their subsequent arrival on agricultural soils through manure and slurry spreading, has become a problem of vital importance for human health and the environment. In the current research, a laboratory experiment was carried out for 42 d to study tolerance and co-tolerance of three tetracycline antibiotics (tetracycline, TC; oxytetracycline, OTC; chlortetracycline, CTC) in soils polluted with heavy metals (As, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, and Pb) at high concentrations (1000 mg kg−1 of each one, separately). Pollution induced community tolerance (PICT) of the bacterial community was estimated using the leucine incorporation technique. The log IC50 (logarithm of the concentration causing 50 % inhibition in bacterial community growth) values obtained in uncontaminated soil samples for all the heavy metals tested showed the following toxicity sequence: Cu > As > Cr ≥ Pb ≥ Cd > Zn > Ni. However, in polluted soil samples the toxicity sequence was Cu > Pb ≥ As ≥ Cd ≥ Cr ≥ Ni ≥ Zn. Moreover, at high heavy metal concentrations, the bacterial communities showed tolerance to the metal itself, this taking place in the long term for all the metals tested. The bacterial communities of the soil polluted with heavy metals showed also long-term co-tolerance to TC, OTC, and CTC. This kind of study, focusing on the eventual increases of tolerance and co-tolerance of bacterial communities in agricultural soil, favored by the presence of different kinds of pollutants, is of crucial importance, mostly bearing in mind that the appearance of antibiotic resistance genes in soil bacteria could be transmitted to human pathogens.

A Survey of Chinese Pig Farms and Human Healthcare Isolates Reveals Separate Human and Animal Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Populations.

There has been increasing concern that the overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming is contributing to the burden of antimicrobial resistance in people. Farmed animals in Europe and North America, particularly pigs, provide a reservoir for livestock‐associated methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA‐MRSA ST398 lineage) found in people. This study is designed to investigate the contribution of MRSA from Chinese pig farms to human infection. A collection of 483 MRSA are isolated from 55 farms and 4 hospitals in central China, a high pig farming density area. CC9 MRSA accounts for 97.2% of all farm isolates, but is not present in hospital isolates. ST398 isolates are found on farms and hospitals, but none of them formed part of the “LA‐MRSA ST398 lineage” present in Europe and North America. The hospital ST398 MRSA isolate form a clade that is clearly separate from the farm ST398 isolates. Despite the presence of high levels of MRSA found on Chinese pig farms, the authors find no evidence of them spilling over to the human population. Nevertheless, the ST398 MRSA obtained from hospitals appear to be part of a widely distributed lineage in China. The new animal‐adapted ST398 lineage that has emerged in China is of concern.

Antimicrobial Peptides from Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) as Potential Antimicrobial Factors Representing an Alternative to Antibiotics in Livestock Farming.

Simple SummaryMicrobial resistance to antibiotics is a constant threat to livestock farming, and unreasonable use of antibiotics has increased the prevalence of infectious diseases in humans and animals. Antimicrobial peptides derived from black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), have great potential as alternatives to antibiotics for prophylaxis and treatment of diseases in animals because they have extensive antimicrobial properties and a lower tendency to induce resistance. Additionally, several studies have shown that Hermetia illucens larvae can participate in a circular economy by digesting organic waste alone and then promoting the growth performance of domestic animals fed the larvae. Therefore, antimicrobial peptides from Hermetia illucens are promising candidate for replacement of antibiotics in livestock farming.Functional antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an important class of effector molecules of innate host immune defense against pathogen invasion. Inability of microorganisms to develop resistance against the majority of AMPs has made them alternatives to antibiotics, contributing to the development of a new generation of antimicrobials. Due to extensive biodiversity, insects are one of the most abundant sources of novel AMPs. Notably, black soldier fly insect (BSF; Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)) feeds on decaying substrates and displays a supernormal capacity to survive under adverse conditions in the presence of abundant microorganisms, therefore, BSF is one of the most promising sources for identification of AMPs. However, discovery, functional investigation, and drug development to replace antibiotics with AMPs from Hermetia illucens remain in a preliminary stage. In this review, we provide general information on currently verified AMPs of Hermetia illucens, describe their potential medical value, discuss the mechanism of their synthesis and interactions, and consider the development of bacterial resistance to AMPs in comparison with antibiotics, aiming to provide a candidate for substitution of antibiotics in livestock farming or, to some extent, for blocking the horizontal transfer of resistance genes in the environment, which is beneficial to human and animal welfare.

Perceptions of antibiotic use in livestock farming in Germany, Italy and the United States

The use of antibiotics in livestock farming has been a common practice for many years. As one of the leading causes of antibiotic resistance, posing serious threats to animal health, human health and food security, a change in this application practice is needed. However, antibiotics play a crucial role in disease management and control in animal farming, which highlights their relevance to both animal welfare and food safety. The general public in many countries is becoming aware of the problem of antibiotic resistance in pathogens and the contributing role of livestock to its proliferation. Nevertheless, little is known about how the public in different countries reacts to this knowledge and how they evaluate different strategies to combat this threat. The current study analyzes public perception of antibiotic use in livestock farming in three different countries, while considering differentiating advantages and disadvantages of antibiotic treatment of farm animals. A total of 2,670 subjects responded to an online questionnaire in Germany (n=894), Italy (n=887) and the United States (n=889). Participants were asked to indicate their level of agreement with several statements on bipolar 7-point Likert-scales. Three factors were extracted using principal component analysis (total variance explained: 59.59%, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy = 0.915, Bartletts’ test of sphericity<0.001). According to the average attitudes bundled in factor one (“Antibiotic use as a threat to human health”), participants in all three samples perceived significant human health risks with antibiotic use in animal farming, with the German participants as the most skeptical, followed by Italian and then US participants. The “Advantages of antibiotic use in livestock farming” (factor two) were perceived only by the US sample, whereas participants from the other two countries were on average more skeptical about the existence of positive impacts such as improved food safety and animal welfare. A “Justified use of antibiotics” (factor three) was on average doubted by participants in all three countries, with the German participants again being most critical. Regarding the treatment of different animal species (for dairy cattle, fattening pigs and broilers), participants in all three countries believed that antibiotics are used even if the animals are not really sick and that the whole herd, instead of individual animals, are treated even if just a few animals display symptoms of a disease. Moreover, the respondents tied antibiotic use with attempts to increase the growth rate of animals rather than to solely treat certain diseases. These results illustrate the significant criticism to the livestock sector by the surveyed participants.

The use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine: Representations of antibiotics and biosecurity by pig farmers

The heavy reliance on antibiotics in livestock farming has contributed to the development of antimicrobial resistance. To tackle this phenomenon, it is important to know the determinants of their use. Thus, this study investigated the way in which French pig farmers perceive antibiotics and biosecurity depending on their farm's department and ALEA (Animal Level of Exposure to Antimicrobials). A qualitative study was carried out on 87 livestock farms of a French agricultural cooperative specialising in pig production. The results show a social representation of antibiotics organized around the notion of demedication (i.e. the elimination or reduction of reliance on antibiotics). Concerning biosecurity, “large consumers” of antibiotics associate it with the idea of constraints, regulatory standards and temporal distances separating them from this practice.

Antimicrobial resistance: preventive approaches to the rescue? Professional expertise and business model of French "industrial" veterinarians.

This article focuses on the development of veterinary medicine in the industrial pig and poultry production sector. In the current context of controversies over the public problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the veterinary profession is tending to promote a model of preventive medicine that is supposed to reduce the use of antibiotics in livestock farming. However, veterinarians specializing in pig and poultry production (“industrial vets”) have in fact been adopting such approaches to animal health for several decades. Based on 28 interviews with pig and poultry veterinarians practicing or having practiced in western France between the 1970s and the 2010s, the article aims to understand how such a form of professional expertise has developed, and the business model that underpins it. Contrary to public discourses which promote preventive approaches as a way to diversify professional expertise and to disconnect veterinary incomes from drug sales, it is indeed this economic model that has allowed the development of such approaches within industrial livestock farming. Modern strategies for reducing antibiotic use should therefore seek less to renew the professional expertise of veterinarians than to find new ways to valorize it economically.

Veterinarian \u2018responsibility\u2019: conflicts of definition and appropriation surrounding the public problem of antimicrobial resistance in France

Over the past decade, veterinarians have been accused of being largely responsible for the overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming. Building on Gusfield’s theoretical perspective, I analyse how AMR can be conceived as a public problem and show how the French veterinary profession has been able to reframe it in such a way that veterinarians are no longer perceived as a threat but instead as protectors of public health. Based on interviews with political stakeholders and veterinary practitioners, as well as on a survey of the veterinary press, this article interprets the controversies that structure the AMR problem as conflicts of definition and appropriation with regard to the legitimate uses of antibiotics. Veterinarians have had to make significant compromises in order to reframe their responsibility and not lose control over the prescription and sale of antibiotics. This dynamic is the result of a three-stage process: firstly, veterinarian responsibility was conceived as a form of ownership where their authority to define the legitimate use of antibiotics was not contested; secondly, it was deemed to be a form of guilt whereby they were dispossessed of their legitimacy and capacity to act; thirdly, it was framed as a form of accountability where they were able to demonstrate their role as public health guardians. During this most recent stage - which corresponds to the present framework of the AMR problem - veterinarians have had to accept that the control and definition of legitimate uses of antibiotics needs to be distributed among a wider range of actors than was the case in the past.

Antibiotic resistome in farm animals and their related environments: a review

Overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming has enriched antibiotic-resistant genes as well as resistant bacteria in farm animals and their related environments. These antibiotic-resistant genes can spread to the natural environments by horizontal gene transfer and even to the food chain, posing a serious threat to the ecological environment, food safety and human health. With the development of genomic technology, the diversity and ecological distribution of antibiotic-resistant genes in farm animals and their related environments have been recently revealed. Here we summarized the research progress on antibiotic resistance genes in related fields, potential influence on human health, and future research needs.

Antimicrobial Resistance in the Netherlands: A Natural Experiment?

Antimicrobial Resistance in the Netherlands: A Natural Experiment?

A Case of Fixed Drug Eruption Due to Doxycycline and Erythromycin Present in Food

A fixed drug eruption (FDE) is not difficult to diagnose, given its clinical characteristics. However, the causative agent can be difficult to identify, particularly when the patient denies ingestion of any drugs. To the best of our knowledge, we present herein the first reported case of an FDE caused by antibiotics taken in food; doxycycline and erythromycin contained in pork and fish. A 57-year-old female experienced repeated episodes of well-demarcated erythematous patches covering her entire body. She denied taking any medications, but she thought that the lesions appeared after consuming pork and/or fish. An oral provocation test showed positive results for doxycycline and erythromycin, commonly used antibiotics in live-stock farming and in the fishing industry. Because of the antibiotics' thermostability, cooking does not guarantee the elimination of residual drugs. From the patient's history, we concluded that doxycycline and erythromycin contained in the pork and fish that she ate were the cause of the FDE.

Antibiotic resistance: an overview.

The results of large scale surveys have indicated that in general terms antibiotic resistance in bacteria has not increased, especially in Europe and North America. When the prevalence of resistance in specific bacteria has increased the increase has usually been associated with the introduction of a novel antimicrobial agent, whether in human or veterinary clinical practice, but the prevalence of resistance that is recognised may be very small. It would appear that the use of antibiotics in livestock farming during the past 20 years has not compromised public health. Any problems in human medicine which are due to bacterial resistance have resulted from the use of antibiotics in man and not from their use in agriculture. Similarly, any problems in veterinary medicine which are due to bacterial resistance have resulted from the use of antibiotics in animals and not from their use in man.