Abstract
Antibiotics are widely used in food animal production systems for treatment of infectious disease as well as for metaphylactic and growth promoting purposes. This selective pressure results in the selection of bacteria that are able to acquire resistance to antibiotics, either by mutation(s) or via horizontal gene transfer. There are several estimates comparing the quantity of antibiotics used for human and animal consumption, and these quantities are predicted to grow rapidly in coming years. Estimates show that a substantial proportion of antibiotics used in agriculture are allocated to the subtherapeutic use. This type of use creates almost ideal conditions for selection and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. In this chapter, we review our previous work on molecular ecology of antibiotic resistance in agricultural settings. In particular, how the agricultural use of antibiotics contribute to selection and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes into a wider environment, and how different agricultural practices may affect this process.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Natural Environments and Long-Term Effects |
| Publisher | Nova Science Publishers, Inc. |
| Pages | 217-250 |
| Number of pages | 34 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781536112917 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781536118186 |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2017 |
Keywords
- Animal production
- Antibiotic resistance genes
- Antibiotic use
- Dissemination
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology