Elbehiry Ayman, Marzouk Eman
Department of Public Health, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, P.O. Box 6666, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia.
Vet Sci. 2025 Sep 4;12(9):862. doi: 10.3390/vetsci12090862.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in livestock production systems has emerged as a major global health concern, threatening not only animal welfare and agricultural productivity but also food safety and public health. The widespread, and often poorly regulated, use of antimicrobials for growth promotion, prophylaxis, and metaphylaxis has accelerated the emergence and dissemination of resistant bacteria and resistance genes. These elements circulate across interconnected animal, environmental, and human ecosystems, driven by mobile genetic elements and amplified through the food production chain. It is estimated that more than two-thirds of medically important antimicrobials are used in animals, and AMR could cause millions of human deaths annually by mid-century if unchecked. In some livestock systems, multidrug-resistant prevalence already exceeds half of isolates, particularly in poultry and swine in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the molecular epidemiology, ecological drivers, and One Health implications of AMR in food-producing animals. We highlight key zoonotic and foodborne bacterial pathogens-including , , and -as well as underappreciated reservoirs in commensal microbiota and livestock environments. Diagnostic platforms spanning phenotypic assays, PCR, MALDI-TOF MS, whole-genome sequencing, and CRISPR-based tools are examined for their roles in AMR detection, surveillance, and resistance gene characterization. We also evaluate current antimicrobial stewardship practices, global and regional surveillance initiatives, and policy frameworks, identifying critical implementation gaps, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Emerging sectors such as aquaculture and insect farming are considered for their potential role as future AMR hotspots. Finally, we outline future directions including real-time genomic surveillance, AI-assisted resistance prediction, and integrated One Health data platforms as essential innovations to combat AMR. Mitigating the threat of AMR in animal agriculture will require coordinated scientific, regulatory, and cross-sectoral responses to ensure the long-term efficacy of antimicrobial agents for both human and veterinary medicine.
畜牧生产系统中的抗菌药物耐药性（AMR）已成为全球主要的健康问题，不仅威胁动物福利和农业生产力，还危及食品安全和公众健康。抗菌药物在促进生长、预防和群体预防方面的广泛使用，且往往监管不力，加速了耐药细菌和耐药基因的出现与传播。这些因素在相互关联的动物、环境和人类生态系统中循环，由移动遗传元件驱动，并通过食品生产链得到放大。据估计，超过三分之二的重要医用抗菌药物用于动物，如果不加以控制，到本世纪中叶，AMR每年可能导致数百万人死亡。在一些畜牧系统中，多重耐药率已经超过分离菌株的一半，特别是在低收入和中等收入国家（LMICs）的家禽和猪中。这篇叙述性综述全面概述了食品生产动物中AMR的分子流行病学、生态驱动因素以及“同一健康”影响。我们重点介绍了关键的人畜共患病和食源性病原体，包括 、 和 ，以及共生微生物群和畜牧环境中未得到充分重视的宿主。研究了包括表型检测、PCR、基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱、全基因组测序和基于CRISPR的工具在内的诊断平台在AMR检测、监测和耐药基因表征中的作用。我们还评估了当前的抗菌药物管理实践、全球和区域监测举措以及政策框架，确定了关键的实施差距，特别是在低收入和中等收入国家。考虑到水产养殖和昆虫养殖等新兴领域作为未来AMR热点的潜在作用。最后，我们概述了未来的方向，包括实时基因组监测、人工智能辅助的耐药性预测以及整合的“同一健康”数据平台，这些都是对抗AMR的重要创新。减轻动物农业中AMR的威胁需要科学、监管和跨部门的协调应对，以确保抗菌药物在人类和兽医学中的长期疗效。
