Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a quintessential One Health challenge, transcending the boundaries between human medicine, animal health, and the environment. The agricultural and livestock sectors are pivotal arenas in this global crisis, acting as significant reservoirs and amplifiers of resistant bacteria and resistance genes. This research examines the intricate pathways through which antibiotic use in food-producing animals contributes to the emergence, selection, and dissemination of resistant pathogens. The review synthesizes current evidence on the practice of antibiotic administration for prophylaxis, meta phylaxis, and growth promotion in intensive farming systems, highlighting how these subtherapeutic and therapeutic applications exert selective pressure, driving microbial evolution. Critical transmission routes are analysed, including the direct transfer through the food chain via contaminated meat products, indirect environmental spread through manure and wastewater, and occupational exposure for farm workers. The consequences for public health are severe, manifesting as increased morbidity, mortality, and treatment costs associated with infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms like extended-spectrum beta- lactamase (ESBL)- producing Enterobacteriaceae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and resistant Campylobacter. The discussion underscores the imperative for integrated, multisectoral interventions under the One Health framework. These include the stringent implementation of stewardship programs to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use in agriculture, the adoption of alternative animal health management practices, enhanced surveillance of AMR across all sectors, and the development of coherent policies that align agricultural productivity with long-term public health security. Mitigating AMR demands a collaborative, systemic approach that acknowledges the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health.

agriculture, livestock, one health, public health, antibiotic resistance

biology

Presentation: poster