"The scientists analysed more than 4,000 samples of manure from pigs, chickens and cattle in 26 countries over 14 years. They found more than 3,000 uncharacterized antibiotic-resistance genes, showing that manure hosts a more diverse set of resistant bacteria than was thought."
"To assess the potential impact on human health, the researchers calculated each gene's likelihood of affecting how well antibiotics worked. They took into account the gene's mobility, the bacterial host's pathogenicity and the associated antibiotic's clinical importance."
"The health risk of chicken manure exceeded that of pig manure and greatly exceeded that of cattle manure. Chicken manure from African countries was much more likely to contain genes that encode resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, such as penicillin, than was that from other continents. Pig manure from China was more likely to contain resistance genes - especially to tetracycline and aminoglycoside antibiotics such as gentamicin - than was the equivalent from other regions."
"The biggest driver of risk was the density of livestock production. The researchers hope that their work will help to focus surveillance."
More than 4,000 manure samples from pigs, chickens and cattle across 26 countries were analyzed over 14 years to map livestock-associated antibiotic-resistance genes. Over 3,000 uncharacterized resistance genes were found, indicating greater diversity than previously recognized. Human-health risk was estimated by calculating each gene’s likelihood of reducing antibiotic effectiveness, incorporating gene mobility, bacterial host pathogenicity, and the clinical importance of the associated antibiotic. Chicken manure showed higher risk than pig manure and far higher risk than cattle manure. African chicken manure more often carried β-lactam resistance genes, while Chinese pig manure more often carried tetracycline and aminoglycoside resistance genes. Livestock production density was the strongest driver of risk, supporting targeted surveillance.
#antibiotic-resistance #livestock-manure #human-health-risk #genomic-surveillance #livestock-production-density
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