Does the Recent Growth of Aquaculture Create Antibiotic Resistance Threats Different from those Associated with Land Animal Production in Agriculture?

Abstract

Important antibiotics in human medicine have been used for many decades in animal agriculture for growth promotion and disease treatment. Several publications have linked antibiotic resistance development and spread with animal production. Aquaculture, the newest and fastest growing food production sector, may promote similar or new resistance mechanisms. This review of 650+ papers from diverse sources examines parallels and differences between land-based agriculture of swine, beef, and poultry and aquaculture. Among three key findings was, first, that of 51 antibiotics commonly used in aquaculture and agriculture, 39 (or 76%) are also of importance in human medicine; furthermore, six classes of antibiotics commonly used in both agriculture and aquaculture are also included on the World Health Organization's (WHO) list of critically important/highly important/important antimicrobials. Second, various zoonotic pathogens isolated from meat and seafood were observed to feature resistance to multiple antibiotics on the WHO list, irrespective of their origin in either agriculture or aquaculture. Third, the data show that resistant bacteria isolated from both aquaculture and agriculture share the same resistance mechanisms, indicating that aquaculture is contributing to the same resistance issues established by terrestrial agriculture. More transparency in data collection and reporting is needed so the risks and benefits of antibiotic usage can be adequately assessed.

Antibiotic resistance in urban aquatic environments: can it be controlled?

“…In all these situations are created opportunities for ARB&ARG to cross the border environment-humans or animals, with potential risks of contamination of soil, surface, and groundwater or the human food chain. The amount (tons) of antibiotics consumed for food-producing animals is generally higher than for human therapy (EFSA/ECDC 2015; Done et al 2015). For this rea-son, it is arguable that the selective pressures found in animal production environments are important drivers for antibiotic resistance dissemination (Cabello et al 2013;Done et al 2015;Xiong et al 2015).…”

“…The amount (tons) of antibiotics consumed for food-producing animals is generally higher than for human therapy (EFSA/ECDC 2015; Done et al 2015). For this rea-son, it is arguable that the selective pressures found in animal production environments are important drivers for antibiotic resistance dissemination (Cabello et al 2013;Done et al 2015;Xiong et al 2015). Although the same active principles can be used in human medicine and in animal production, the pattern of utilization is different (Cabello et al 2013;WHO 2014;EFSA/ECDC 2015;Done et al 2015).…”

“…For this rea-son, it is arguable that the selective pressures found in animal production environments are important drivers for antibiotic resistance dissemination (Cabello et al 2013;Done et al 2015;Xiong et al 2015). Although the same active principles can be used in human medicine and in animal production, the pattern of utilization is different (Cabello et al 2013;WHO 2014;EFSA/ECDC 2015;Done et al 2015). While human medicine, mainly in what concerns antibiotics administration in health care units, tends to use last-generation antibiotics of classes of fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins, or carbapenems, in animal production, "older" antibiotics such as tetracyclines, sulfonamides, or penicillins are preferred (WHO 2014; EFSA/ECDC 2015; Done et al 2015).…”

“…Although the same active principles can be used in human medicine and in animal production, the pattern of utilization is different (Cabello et al 2013;WHO 2014;EFSA/ECDC 2015;Done et al 2015). While human medicine, mainly in what concerns antibiotics administration in health care units, tends to use last-generation antibiotics of classes of fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins, or carbapenems, in animal production, "older" antibiotics such as tetracyclines, sulfonamides, or penicillins are preferred (WHO 2014; EFSA/ECDC 2015; Done et al 2015). The use of different antibiotics for animal production and for human medicine may explain the observation of distinct correlations between the bacterial community composition and antibiotic-resistant populations and the concentration in wastewater of tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and penicillins or fluoroquinolones (Novo et al 2013;Varela et al 2014).…”

“…In addition, although effluents of animal production facilities are not demonstrated as important reservoirs of emerging ARG, as those disseminated via hospital wastewater, they are supposedly important suppliers of resistance against sulfonamides, amino-glycosides, tetracycline, or quinolones (Xiong et al 2015). Moreover, effluents of animal production facilities contain ubiquitous bacteria that may be also found in the human microbiome (Vaz-Moreira et al, 2014;Done et al 2015). Be-cause ARB&ARG from animal production effluents are able to spread in the environment and enter the human food chain, these facilities should also be placed among the critical control points to mitigate antibiotic resistance propagation (Cabello et al 2013;Done et al 2015;Xiong et al 2015).…”