Assessing the Risk of the Transfer of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes Between Bacteria in Stored and Spread Farm Wastes. E. Snary, L. Kelly, M. Wooldridge, F. Clifton-Hadley, and E. Liebana, Veterinary Laboratories Agency, UK
In the UK, approximately 90 million tones of farm wastes are handled and recycled to land per annum. Farm wastes have a fertiliser value and help maintain soil quality and fertility, hence their use on land intended for arable crops, livestock grazing and horticulture. It is possible for farm wastes to contain pathogenic bacteria and concern has been expressed about the possible spread of these to the human population. Initial concerns were related to the presence of pathogenic bacteria in waste and little attention paid to the possible dissemination of antimicrobial resistance bacteria and transferable resistance genes. The storage and spreading of farm waste provide an opportunity for the transfer of genetic material between bacteria so that some may acquire a higher level of resistance than before. If these antimicrobial resistant bacteria can survive the storage and application process, and have the potential to colonise animals or man, then a new epidemic strain may be created. Data relating to the transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes between bacterial strains and species in stored and spread farm wastes is being obtained via experimental work at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, the Public Health Laboratory Service and ADAS. In particular this work focuses on the transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes between Salmonella Typhimurium, commensal Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecium in cattle slurry, pig slurry and poultry manure. The data will be input into quantitative risk assessment models. The risk assessment models will describe the storage and spreading practices for the farm wastes given above. All appropriate biological processes will be considered since their ability to enter, survive, multiply and die will affect the probability of an antimicrobial resistance gene being transferred. The work to be presented here will focus on the modelling of antimicrobial resistance gene transfer between bacteria in stored slurry.
This work is funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), UK.
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