Focus

Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 110, Number 7, July 2002

Antibiotic Resistance in Livestock:

More at Stake than Steak


Healthy Animals, Unhealthy People? Popular Antibiotics on Farms and in Pharmacies
Antibiotic Class
Animal Species
Animal Use
Human Use
Bacterial Resistance
Disease Treatment
Disease Prevention
Growth Promotion
Aminoglycosides
  (gentamicin, neomycin, streptomycin)
cattle, poultry, sheep, swine
X
X
 
X
X
Beta-Lactams
  Penicillins
  (amoxicillin, ampicillin)
cattle, poultry, sheep, swine
X
X
X
X
X
  Cephalosporins
  (third generation)
cattle, poultry, sheep, swine
X
X
X
X
Ionophores
cattle, poultry, sheep
 
X
X
  
X
Macrolides
  (erythromycin, tilmicosin, tylosin)
cattle, poultry, swine
X
X
X
X
X
Polypeptides
  (bacitracin)
poultry, swine
X
X
X
X
X
Fluoroquinolones
  (enrofloxacin)
cattle, poultry
X
X
X
X
Sulfonamides
cattle, poultry, swine
X
X
X
X
Tetracyclines
cattle, poultry, sheep, swine
X
X
X
X
X
Sources:
Cornaglia G. The spread of macrolide-resistant streptococci in Italy. APUA Newsletter 16(1):1,4 (available: http://www.healthsci.tufts.edu/apua/Newsletter/16_1b.html).

CDC. Aminoglycoside resistance in Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Atlanta, GA:U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1999 (available: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/Lab/FactSheet/amino.htm).

CDC. Quinolones and the clinical laboratory. Atlanta, GA:U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1999 (available: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/Lab/FactSheet/amino.htm).

Corwin RM, Nahm J. Antiprotozoal drugs. Columbia, MO:University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, 1997 (available: http://www.parasitology.org/Drugs/Antiprot.htm).

Dromigny J-A et al. Emergence and rapid spread of tetracycline-resistant Vibrio cholerae strains, Madagascar. Emerg Infect Dis 8(3):336-338 (2002) (available: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol8no3/01-0258.htm).

Hart S, Korey E, Stamatis G. Nearly one-third of Streptococcus pneumoniae are resistant to newer antibiotics: study in doctor¹s office patients points to resistance rates in children. 1998 (available: http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content4/resistent.antibiotics.html).

Rossiter S et al. High prevalence of bacitracin resistance among enterococci isolated from humans stools and grocery store chicken in the United States. American Society for Microbiology General Meeting. Orlando, FL, May 2001 (available: http://www.cdc.gov/narms/pub/presentations/asm/2001/rossiter_s.htm).

Sköld O. Resistance to trimethoprim and sulfonamides. Vet Res 32: 261-273 (2001) (available: http://www.edpsciences.com/articles/inra-vet/abs/2001/03/v1304/v1304.html).

Stamey K et al. Multi-drug resistant Salmonella Senftenberg isolated from patients in a Florida hospital. American Society for Microbiology General Meeting. Orlando, FL, May 2001 (available: http://www.cdc.gov/narms/pub/presentations/asm/2001/stamey_k.htm).

Swedish Medical Products Agency. Cefadroxil: summary of product characteristics. Uppsala, Sweden:Swedish Medical Products Agency, 1999 (available: http://www3.mpa.se/spc/SPC.A-E/Cefadroxil_NM_Pharma_caps.ENG.pdf).

U.S. GAO. Food safety: the agricultural use of antibiotics and its implications for human health. RCED-99-74. Washington, D.C.:U.S. General Accounting Office, 1999 (available: http://www.gao.gov/).