Role of horizontal gene transfer in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance in food animal production

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) plays a major role in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG) among diverse bacterial populations. Several studies have shown the presence of mobile genetic elements such as plasmids and integrons carrying ARG among bacteria from livestock and related environments. This is a potential concern as these resistant determinants can be exchanged between human and animal pathogenic microorganisms through direct and indirect contact. Although knowledge on HGT and development of multidrug resistance in microbes has been substantially elucidated, our knowledge on how and to what extent HGT propels antimicrobial resistance transmission from livestock to humans remains limited. This review article highlights the different pathways by which HGT propagates antimicrobial resistance transmission from farm animals to humans and propose strategies that can be implemented to control antimicrobial resistance dissemination in food animal production.

Automated summary

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) plays a crucial role in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG) among different bacterial populations. This review article focuses on the pathways through which HGT facilitates the transmission of antimicrobial resistance from farm animals to humans and proposes strategies to control the spread of antimicrobial resistance in food animal production.