Antibiotic resistome in farm animals and their related environments: a review / 生物工程学报

ABSTRACT

Overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming has enriched antibiotic-resistant genes as well as resistant bacteria in farm animals and their related environments. These antibiotic-resistant genes can spread to the natural environments by horizontal gene transfer and even to the food chain, posing a serious threat to the ecological environment, food safety and human health. With the development of genomic technology, the diversity and ecological distribution of antibiotic-resistant genes in farm animals and their related environments have been recently revealed. Here we summarized the research progress on antibiotic resistance genes in related fields, potential influence on human health, and future research needs.