Stored swine manure and swine faeces as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes

Inclusion of low levels of antibiotics in the feed of domestic food animals promotes improved growth, animal performance and overall health benefits. However, this practice has come under scrutiny due to concerns over such feeding on bacterial antibiotic resistance (AR) and potential impact on human...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Letters in applied microbiology 2013-04, Vol.56 (4), p.264-267
Main Authors: Whitehead, T.R., Cotta, M.A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology
antibiotic
Antibiotics
Bacteria - drug effects
Bacteria - genetics
Bacteria - isolation & purification
Biological and medical sciences
Drug Resistance, Bacterial - genetics
Erythromycin - pharmacology
faeces
Feces - chemistry
Feces - microbiology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
genes
Genes, Bacterial
Humans
manure
Manure - analysis
Manure - microbiology
Meat
Microbiology
PCR
Polymerase Chain Reaction
resistance
swine
Swine - microbiology
Tetracycline Resistance - genetics
Tylosin - pharmacology
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Summary:Inclusion of low levels of antibiotics in the feed of domestic food animals promotes improved growth, animal performance and overall health benefits. However, this practice has come under scrutiny due to concerns over such feeding on bacterial antibiotic resistance (AR) and potential impact on human health. There is a paucity of data on the types and levels of AR genes that may be present in agricultural practices. Using PCR detection of AR genes, this study demonstrates that both stored swine manure and swine faeces harbour a variety of AR genes, and bacterial members of these communities contain genes that may move between micro‐organisms. Thus, both ecosystems may serve as reservoirs of AR genes. Significance and Impact of the Study Subtherapeutic feeding of antibiotics to production animals in the United States has prompted concerns of the effects of such practices on development of AR in bacterial populations that could affect human health. However, little is known about antibiotic resistant bacteria, and genes present in the swine gastrointestinal tract and stored manure. The current research demonstrates through the PCR amplification of AR genes in swine manure and faeces, and pure cultures of bacteria isolated from these ecosystems, that a number of such genes are present, and that the commensal bacterial microbiota might serve as reservoirs of AR. Significance and Impact of the Study: Subtherapeutic feeding of antibiotics to production animals in the United States has prompted concerns of the effects of such practices on development of AR in bacterial populations that could affect human health. However, little is known about antibiotic resistant bacteria, and genes present in the swine gastrointestinal tract and stored manure. The current research demonstrates through the PCR amplification of AR genes in swine manure and faeces, and pure cultures of bacteria isolated from these ecosystems, that a number of such genes are present, and that the commensal bacterial microbiota might serve as reservoirs of AR.
ISSN:0266-8254
1472-765X
DOI:10.1111/lam.12043