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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Food Safety and Enteric Pathogens Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #303155
Title: Antibiotic resistance gene discovery in food-producing animals

Author
item Allen, Heather

Submitted to: Current Opinion in Microbiology
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/10/2014
Publication Date: 7/1/2014
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/59369
Citation: Allen, H.K. 2014. Antibiotic resistance gene discovery in food-producing animals. Current Opinion in Microbiology. 19:25-29.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Numerous environmental reservoirs contribute to the widespread antibiotic resistance problem in human pathogens. One environmental reservoir of particular importance is the intestinal bacteria of food-producing animals. In this review I examine recent discoveries of antibiotic resistance genes in agricultural animals. Two types of antibiotic resistance gene discoveries will be discussed: the use of classic microbiological and molecular techniques, such as culturing and PCR, to identify known genes not previously reported in animals; and the application of high-throughput technologies, such as metagenomics, to identify novel genes and gene transfer mechanisms. These discoveries confirm that antibiotics should be limited to prudent uses.