Advancing Planetary Health in Australia: focus on emerging infections and antimicrobial resistance

Hill-Cawthorne, Grant; Negin, Joel; Capon, Tony; Gilbert, Gwendolyn L; Nind, Lee; Nunn, Michael; Ridgway, Patricia; Schipp, Mark; Firman, Jenny; Sorrell, Tania C; Marais, Ben J

The ecological effects of antimicrobial selection pressure, including its effects on the human and animal microbiome, are poorly understood. Antimicrobial use in production animals has been restricted in Australia following the recommendations of the Swann report. 36 When avoparcin use in feedlot cattle was shown to increase the prevalence of Enterococcus faecium resistance to vancomycin (a glycopeptide antibiotic used for the treatment of human infections), 37 it was voluntarily withdrawn from the Australian market. Fluoroquinolones were never approved for use in production animals in Australia, which probably explains the low levels of fluoroquinolone resistance observed in Campylobacter, Salmonella and Escherichia species compared with other countries where agricultural use is unrestricted. 38 39 Globally, the pork and chicken industries are the biggest users of antimicrobials. 40 Recent descriptions of highly resistant bacteria found on chicken and swine farms in China, linked to outbreaks of human infection with bacteria containing similar plasmid-mediated resistance, offer a stark example of the health risks associated with unregulated antimicrobial use in production animals. 41 42 However, it was acknowledged that the responsible use of antimicrobials to address concerns about food security and animal welfare require careful consideration.