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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Agroecosystem Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #295079
Title: Antibiotic resistance in agricultural environments: a call to action

Author
item MCCLAIN, JEAN - University Of Arizona
item Durso, Lisa
item SNOW, DANIEL - University Of Nebraska

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/12/2013
Publication Date: 11/5/2013
Citation: Mcclain, J.E., Durso, L.M., Snow, D.L. 2013. Antibiotic resistance in agricultural environments: a call to action. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. CD-ROM. 213-10.

Interpretive Summary: It is important to reduce antibiotic resistance is transferred to humans from food production settings. The first step in the process is to gain a better understanding of natural levels of antibiotic resistance, and how antibiotic resistance survives in and moves through the environment. Currently, there is no consensus on which antibiotics, which types of resistance, or which specific AR genes are most relevant to scientific research addressing the impacts of agricultural antibiotic use on human health. In light of the need expressed by the World Health Organization for “internationally recognized principles for risk assessment related to antimicrobial resistance owing to non-human use of antimicrobials,” there is a need among the research community involved in tracking of environmental AR to develop a standardized and rigorously validated suite of methods that can be used across the farm-to-fork continuum to accurately inform food safety risk assessment models. This talk will present a call to action to address this critical and as yet completely un-addressed need, in hopes of initiating a dialogue towards consensus.

Technical Abstract: To facilitate the goal of reducing the transfer of antibiotic resistance (AR) from pre-harvest food production systems to clinical settings, it is essential to increase current understanding of the natural levels, and the environmental fate and transport, of specific types of AR. Currently, there is no consensus on which antibiotics, which types of resistance, or which specific AR genes are most relevant to scientific research addressing the impacts of agricultural antibiotic use on human health. In light of the need expressed by the World Health Organization for “internationally recognized principles for risk assessment…related to antimicrobial resistance owing to non-human use of antimicrobials,” there is a need among the research community involved in tracking of environmental AR to develop a standardized and rigorously validated suite of methods that can be used across the farm-to-fork continuum to accurately inform food safety risk assessment models. This talk will present a call to action to address this critical and as yet completely un-addressed need, in hopes of initiating a dialogue towards consensus.