By Ethan Covey
The use of antibiotics in animal agriculture contributes to the development of drug resistance and can adversely affect children’s health, according to an updated American Academy of Pediatrics Technical Report, authored by the Committee on Infectious Diseases and Council on Environmental Health and Climate Change (Pediatrics 2024;154[4]:e2024068467).
“This report highlights the interrelatedness of antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic use in human, animal, plant and environmental sectors—the One Health concept,” said Sophie E. Katz, MD, an assistant professor of pediatric infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Nashville, Tenn. “It is meant to raise awareness for pediatric primary care providers, and also to showcase that while we have made significant improvements in antibiotic use in agriculture since the last report was published, there are still improvements to be made.”
Antimicrobial resistant bacteria cause at least 2.8 million annual infections and more than 35,000 deaths, including in children, according to the CDC. The misuse and overuse of antibiotics in human and animal medicine is a significant contributor to the emergence and spread of resistant pathogens, the authors of the report wrote.
Addressing these issues will require dedicated efforts and a focus on the tenets of a One Health approach. “I very much hope that these concerns are addressed via legislation and/or public health efforts,” Dr. Katz told Infectious Disease Special Edition.
“We also tried to highlight some things that each of us can do, as it can sometimes be hard to wait for those efforts to come to fruition,” she added.
These include:
- using proper hand hygiene when cooking or handling raw meat, after visiting petting zoos or farms, after handling pet food or treats, and after contact with companion animals to prevent foodborne illness;
- considering purchasing animal products raised without exposure to nontherapeutic antibiotics and encouraging institutional purchasing initiatives to follow similar measures to support antimicrobial stewardship in agriculture; and
- supporting policies that strengthen oversight of antimicrobial use and require tracking and reporting of antibiotic use and resistance across human, animal, plant and environmental sectors to encourage judicious use of antimicrobials in humans and animals.
Dr. Katz also emphasized that future research may help answer questions that still exist in many areas, including the implementation of the best efforts to limit antibiotic durations, increasing tracking and reporting, and creating public-facing dashboards about antimicrobial use in all animals, including those in agriculture and companion pets.
Surveys tracking the same farms over time to identify causal factors associated with patterns of antimicrobial use or resistance, as well as the implementation and impact of sales data at the state and local levels may also be helpful for further understanding the impact of antibiotic use in animal agriculture and how it may be addressed to prevent increases in antimicrobial resistance and related effects on children.
Dr. Katz reported no relevant financial disclosures.
