Antimicrobial resistance: What is the risk of spread through animal transport?

EFSA has begun work on a new assessment looking at the risk of antimicrobial resistant bacteria spreading during animal transport.

The assessment, which was requested by the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), will focus on the risk of resistant zoonotic bacteria spreading among poultry, pigs and cattle during transport to other farms or to slaughterhouses.

When antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs in zoonotic bacteria – bacteria that can be passed from animals to humans – it can also compromise the effective treatment of infectious diseases in humans.

Marta Hugas, EFSA’s Chief Scientist, said: “Resistance to antimicrobials is an urgent public health threat, and evidence-based advice is critical to developing policy and legislation to meet this challenge.