Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria from animals, challenges for their contention from laboratory

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) constitutes a global crisis with an impact on human and animal health. The consumption of antibiotics in animal husbandry also encourages the selection and propagation of strains and their determinants of resistance to the environment and in the food production chain. One of the strategic initiatives for the contention of AMR is to ensure the appropriate use of available antibiotics, in which microbiology laboratories play an important role, through diagnosis and microbial susceptibility testing. The purpose of this review is to provide information on patterns, difficulties and challenges in interpreting data derived from laboratory tests to allow the identification of bacteria, their typing and the estimation of the antibiotic susceptibility profile. Methodological approaches for the distinction between pathogenic, commensal and indicator bacteria to be considered in the AMR surveillance and monitoring plans are also described. In the breeding of animals, strains of zoonotic bacteria or multiresistance indicators usually appear, which are a priority in surveillance programs, under the concept of One health, for presenting acquired resistance with an advantage for their dissemination. Alarming examples in recent years are extended spectrum betalactamases producing Escherichia coli (E. coli ESBL) and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). It also discusses the transient expressions of microbial resistance, biofilms and persistent cells, which explain the recurrence of infections and are still poorly considered in veterinary medicine. Finally, the need for strategies to harmonize and disseminate data that support guidelines for the treatment of bacterial infections of veterinary interest is emphasized.