Antibiotic Resistance in : A Systematic Review of South American Isolates.

In recent years, has become increasingly resistant to antibiotics, especially those first-choice drugs used to treat campylobacteriosis. Studies in South America have reported cases of antibiotic-resistant in several countries, mainly in Brazil. To understand the current frequency of antibiotic-resistant in humans, farm animals, and food of animal origin in South America, we systematically searched for different studies that have reported resistance. The most commonly reported species were and . Resistance to ciprofloxacin was found to be ubiquitous in the isolates. Nalidixic acid and tetracycline showed a significantly expressed resistance. Erythromycin, the antibiotic of first choice for the treatment of campylobacteriosis, showed a low rate of resistance in isolates but was detected in almost all countries. The main sources of antibiotic-resistant isolates were food of animal origin and farm animals. The results demonstrate that resistant isolates are disseminated from multiple sources linked to animal production in South America. The level of resistance that was identified may compromise the treatment of campylobacteriosis in human and animal populations. In this way, we are here showing all South American communities the need for the constant surveillance of resistance and the need for the strategic use of antibiotics in animal production. These actions are likely to decrease future difficulties in the treatment of human campylobacteriosis.