Researching Antimicrobial Resistance to Save Lives Around the World

There are approximately 500 million households that practice small scale food animal production around the world, yet it is often overlooked in terms of the environmental health risks. Research from PHI’s Jay Graham and partners found evidence suggesting that small-scale food animal producers often employ the use of antimicrobials to improve the survival and growth of their animals, and that this practice leads to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) that can spread to humans. The nature of human-animal interactions in small-scale food animal production, generally practiced near the home, likely adds to spillover events of AMR into the community on a scale that is currently unrecognized and deserves greater attention.

Researchers were also able to identify certain risks associated with food-animal production that will be essential for the safe development programs that promote livestock and poultry for improved livelihoods and nutrition.