Relevance of antibiotic resistant microbes in foods of animal origin

Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria occurred soon after the first antibiot ic was discovered. Hospital infections with resistant microbes have been a threat for several years. Recent outbreaks of food borne infections due to antibiotic resistant bacteria were associated with unusually high morbidity and mortality rates. Multiresistant Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter an d pathogenic E. coli have been isolated from food animals and food. Genetic characterization of their resistance genes and the location on mobile gene tic elements gave rise to the assumption that those elements and genes are transferable with and without selective pressure. The impact of food proces sing and storage on persistence, transfer or elimination of resistance elem ents has not been studied yet. However scientific work in this field might elucidate correlations between human infections with antibiotic resistant f ood pathogens and antimicrobial resistant isolates from food animals.