The role of antimicrobials in food animals in the emergence of resistant human pathogens

Resistance to antibiotics is one of the most pressing issues facing the globe today. Antibiotics have saved many lives and have revolutionized medicine by making many procedures such as organ transplant possible. However, the development of resistance is threatening to bring us to a post-antibiotic era. The rise in resistance is caused by many factors contributed by different industries. Human medicine is one sector in which the manner of antibiotic use causes resistance. In addition, the veterinary sector also holds a great accountability in resistance since most antibiotics are used in food animals and mostly for non-therapeutic purposes. It is also important to understand the mechanism of resistance at a molecular level in order to combat this problem more efficiently. A tremendous amount of effort must be put forth in finding alternatives to antibiotics, many have been proposed but none hold much promise in being an absolute replacement. Fortunately, these alternatives can be used in tandem with antibiotics to slow down the advance of resistance. A multi-pronged approach should be adopted to tackle this global phenomenon which includes cooperation between different countries, the different sectors (agriculture, food animal production and human medicine) and between scientists and governments.