Antibiotic Resistance in the Food Chain: A Developing Country-Perspective

Abstract

Antibiotics are now “endangered species” facing extinction due to the worldwide emergence of antibiotic resistance (ABR). Food animals are considered as key reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant bacteria with the use of antibiotics in the food production industry having contributed to the actual global challenge of ABR. There are no geographic boundaries to impede the worldwide spread of ABR. If preventive and containment measures are not applied locally, nationally and regionally, the limited interventions in one country, continent and for instance, in the developing world, could compromise the efficacy and endanger ABR containment policies implemented in other parts of the world, the best-managed high-resource countries included. Multifaceted, comprehensive, and integrated measures complying with the One Health approach are imperative to ensure food safety and security, effectively combat infectious diseases, curb the emergence and spread of ABR, and preserve the efficacy of antibiotics for future generations. Countries should follow the World Health Organization, World Organization for Animal Health, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recommendations to implement national action plans encompassing human, (food) animal, and environmental sectors to improve policies, interventions and activities that address the prevention and containment of ABR from farm-to-fork. This review covers (i) the origin of antibiotic resistance, (ii) pathways by which bacteria spread to humans from farm-to-fork, (iii) differences in levels of antibiotic resistance between developed and developing countries, and (iv) prevention and containment measures of antibiotic resistance in the food chain.

Methods for the Antibiotic Resistance Detection in Microorgansims Isolated From Food

“…(Founou et al, 2016) These methods enable the detection and testing of the whole bacterial genome, the identification of new genetic traits and the identification of unknown genetic elements, which is not possible with PCR methods . (Allen, 2014;Thanner, 2016).…”

Socioeconomic Factors and Use of Antibiotics by Dairy Farmers vis-a-vis Antibiotic Resistance

“…Increased in level of knowledge was pointedly associated with the use of antibiotics for preventative purpose, antibiotics purchase from medical-stores, complications experienced in animals after having giving antibiotics and the educational level of the farmer (Redding et al, 2014). The educational campaigns can be relatively successful to increase awareness about the resistance issue across the world (Harbarth et al, 2015). Reinforcing the education and fostering the excellence among veterinarians about antibiotic conservation practices have a crucial role to play in containing antibiotic resistance from farm-to-fork (OIE, 2016)…”

“…One third (67%) of the global increase in antibiotic consumption in livestock animals over 2010-2030, will be evident in Low and Middle Income Countries like India (Van Boeckel et al, 2015). National guidelines for antibiotic use were introduced and implemented in India since 2013 (Founou et al, 2016).…”

“…One health approach is multifaceted, comprehensive and integrated processes imperative to ensure food safety, combat infectious diseases, preserve the efficacy of antibiotics for future generations and control the spread of antibiotic resistance (Founou et al, 2016).…”

“…WHO Global Action Plan and FAO Action Plan advocated multifaceted strategies with One Health approach, are urgently required to prevent the transmission of resistance and infectious diseases from farm-to-fork and preserve the efficacy of antibiotics to promote food security resulting global health (Founou et al, 2016).…”