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Thailand is undergoing rapid intensification of livestock production where small subsistence farms and medium sized commercial farms coexist. In medium farms, antimicrobials are prescribed by a veterinarian, whereas in small farms antimicrobial use remains largely unsupervised. The impact of these differences as well as other farming practices on the emergence and composition of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) remains largely unknown. We analyzed 363 genomes of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase producing (ESBL) and/or AmpC producing Escherichia coli recovered from humans and pigs at small and medium farms from the Khon Kaen province, Thailand. We tested for genome-wide associations to identify links between ARGs, host, and farm size. Pig isolates from small farms were associated with mcr and qnr genes conferring resistance to colistin and fluoroquinolones, respectively. In contrast, pig isolates from medium farms were associated with ARGs conferring resistance to drugs commonly used on medium farms (i.e., streptomycin). ESBL plasmids from small farms co-carried ARGs conferring resistance to critically important antimicrobials more frequently compared to plasmid from medium farms. Frequent ARG combinations included bla CTX-M-55  + qnrS1 (29.8% vs 17.5% in small and medium farms, respectively), bla CTX-M-55  + qnrS1 + mcr-3.19 (5% vs 0%), bla CTX-M-14  + qnrS1 (9.3% vs 6.2%), and bla CTX-M-14  + qnrS1 + mcr-1.1 (3.1% vs 0%). The co-location on plasmids of ARGs conferring resistance to critically important antimicrobials as defined by the World Health Organization is concerning, and actions to curb their spread are urgently needed. Legislation on limiting antimicrobial sales and initiatives to better inform farmers and veterinarians on appropriate antimicrobial usage and farm biosecurity could help reduce antimicrobial use on farms., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The ongoing emergence of antibiotic resistance jeopardizes efficacy of antibiotics in curing animals from bacterial infections that threaten their health, welfare and productivity. This review gives an overview of antimicrobial use data in food-producing animals, a discussion on how antimicrobials are used for some infections in the reproductive system in cattle, the horse and pig in Europe where there are differences in treatment practices including options to refine the use of antibiotics, and finally, a presentation of the antibiotic resistance for some bacteria collected from the reproductive system. It is shown that there are differences in applied treatment regimens for, as well as prevention of, several reproductive diseases in Europe. Some of the treatments are not evidence-based, which should be considered by clinicians and other stakeholders. It is concluded that a more refined and restrictive use of antibiotics could be achieved by adhering to evidence-based guidelines by national and international expertise including the scientific literature when available. This may call for a re-think among the animal health stakeholders regarding the use of antibiotics and may demand new skill-sets in the animal health sphere., (© 2022 The Author. Reproduction in Domestic Animals published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global public health issue, but it also jeopardises the effectiveness of antimicrobials as a means of curing infections in animals that threaten their health, welfare and productivity. Several reports show that infections in humans caused by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens may be linked to antimicrobial use (AMU) and AMR in food-producing animals; however, to what extent this happens is unknown. Use of antimicrobials drives the emergence of AMR, therefore, their extensive over-use and misuse in livestock is of concern. Robust AMU and AMR data are important to monitor the progress of interventions aiming to reduce AMR in the livestock sector. However, not all countries have complete data on antibiotic sales or use, so our current knowledge of global AMU is primarily based on modelling estimates. Antimicrobial resistance prevalence data are limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, but in some high-income regions fairly robust data are available. It should also be noted that monitoring guidelines and protocols are available to provide globally harmonised AMR data. Using antimicrobials rationally and not using them for disease prevention purposes is key to reducing AMU. To ensure that these drugs are used appropriately we must ensure that: a) veterinary services are accessible and affordable for farmers; b) antibiotics are only sold on prescription; c) veterinarians earn no revenue linked to the sale or prescription of antibiotics; d) veterinarians have substantial skills in preventive medicine (good animal husbandry, efficient biosecurity and vaccinology); and e) the benefits of preventive measures must appeal to farmers so that they are willing to pay for them.

Background: Administration of antimicrobials to food-producing animals is regarded as a major contributor to the overall emergence of resistance in bacteria worldwide. However, few data are available on global antimicrobial use and resistance (AMR) in livestock, especially from low- and middle-income countries., Methods: We conducted a structured survey of 91 small-scale pig farms in the urban and peri-urban areas of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to assess the farmers' knowledge, attitudes and practices related to antimicrobial use in their pig production. Commensal Escherichia coli was isolated from three healthy pigs from each farm ( n  = 261) and susceptibility testing was performed against 14 antimicrobials, using broth microdilution. Univariable logistic regression and generalized linear mixed models were used to investigate potential associations between farm characteristics, management factors and resistance to different types of antimicrobials., Results: We found a widespread and arbitrary use of antimicrobials, often based on the farmer's own judgment. Around 66% of the farmers reported frequently self-adjusting treatment duration and dosage, and 45% had not heard about the term 'antimicrobial resistance'. The antimicrobials most commonly mentioned or kept by the farmers were amoxicillin, tylosin, gentamicin and colistin. Around 37% used a feed concentrate that contained antimicrobials, while antimicrobials for humans were used as a last-line treatment by 10% of the farmers. Commensal E. coli exhibited high prevalence of resistance to several antimicrobials considered to be of critical importance for human medicine, including ampicillin, ciprofloxacin and colistin, and multidrug-resistance was found in 79% of the samples. Higher prevalence of resistance was observed on farms that administered prophylactic antimicrobials and on farms that treated the entire group or herd in the event of disease., Conclusion: The widespread and arbitrary use of antimicrobials in pig farming in Cambodia is highly worrisome. Overall, farmers had a low awareness of the risks and consequences related to antimicrobial use and AMR. The results presented in this study confirm the hypothesis that non-rational use of antimicrobials results in higher prevalence of AMR and highlight the need for professional animal health systems that involve medically rational use of antimicrobials in emerging economies such as Cambodia., Competing Interests: The study was approved by the General Directorate of Animal Health and Production, Cambodia and was conducted in compliance with Swedish legislation on ethics in research involving humans [47]. All animal handling and the sampling procedure were approved by the Ethics Committee at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. All farmers were informed about the purpose of the study and that their participation was voluntary and anonymous. Informed consent was obtained from each participating farmer before the interviews were conducted.Not applicable.The authors declare that they have no competing interest.Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Background: Intensification of livestock production seen in many low- and middle-income countries is often believed to be associated with increased use of antimicrobials, and may hence contribute to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. The aim of this study was to map antimicrobial use on small- (n = 25) and medium-scale (n = 27) pig farms in north-eastern Thailand, and to compare antimicrobial susceptibility of commensal Escherichia coli isolated from sows on these farms. Methods: Information regarding pig husbandry and antimicrobial treatment regimens was obtained by the use of semi-structured questionnaires. Faecal samples were collected from three healthy sows at each farm, and Escherichia coli was cultured and analysed for antimicrobial susceptibility using the broth microdilution method. Multilevel regression models were used to compare antimicrobial susceptibility between isolates from small- and medium-scale farms. Results: All farms included in the study administered antimicrobials to their sows. Small-scale farmers most commonly (64%) decided themselves when to give antimicrobials and the majority (60%) bought the medicines at the local store or pharmacy, whereas farmers on medium-scale farms always discussed antimicrobial treatment with a veterinarian. Medium-scale farms used a greater diversity of antimicrobials than small-scale farms and did also administer antimicrobials in feed to a higher extent. High levels of antimicrobial resistance to several critically important antimicrobials for human medicine (including ciprofloxacin, streptomycin and ampicillin) were found in isolates from both small- and medium-scale farms. Resistance levels were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in isolates from medium-scale farms for several of the antimicrobials tested, as well as the level of multidrug-resistance (P = 0.026). Conclusion: The routines regarding access and administration of antimicrobials differed between the small- and medium-scale farms. Although the level of antimicrobial resistance, as well as multidrug-resistance, was higher in isolates from medium-scale farms, it cannot be concluded if this increase is a consequence of a more abundant use of antimicrobials, or a result of differences in administration routines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a health issue encountered by the One Health medical collaborative. It states that One Health aims to deal with AMR by embracing the three domains including contribution of animal production, human health, and environmental health. It mentions that One Health calls for an interdisciplinary research in support of proper action.