OVERVIEW ON ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE IN ANIMAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AND ITS IMPACT ON PUBLIC HEALTH

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health crisis affecting our present and future. International agencies talk about the XXI century as the “Post Antibiotic Era”, since addressing infectious diseases, only relying on chemotherapeutic drugs, is not feasible any longer, and different treatment and prevention tools have to be adopted. In this bibliographic research, we reviewed recent publications on antibiotic resistant bacteria emerging in farm animal productions (with particular reference to ESBL-producing Enterobacteriales, Methicillin Resistant Staphilococcus aureus, non-typhoidal Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp.) to assess their public health impact. We took into account farm drug use and stewardship, evidence of human-animal transmission and transmission directionality. Moreover, we considered the study typologies that enable a better understanding of bacterial strains involved in the transmission of AMR between animals and humans. According to examined literature, AMR can be described as a complex phenomenon linked to many risk factors, with human, animal and environmental systems interconnecting. Thus, a structural “One Health” approach is necessary, in order to analyze simultaneously AMR across human, animal (pets and wild animals included) and environmental compartments. In line with these objectives, an interdisciplinary collaboration is key. As regards the zootechnical sector, increased awareness and action is requested to each stakeholder along the whole farm-to-fork path. Thanks to their wide knowledge and competences, comprising clinical medicine, animal productions and food safety, veterinarians play a paramount role in protecting animal health, while cooperating with other professionals to prevent AMR emergence in human settings and in the environment.