Global surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in food animals using priority drugs maps

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in food animals is a growing threat to animal health and potentially to human health. In resource-limited settings, allocating resources to address AMR can be guided with maps. Here, we mapped AMR prevalence in 7 antimicrobials in Escherichia coli and nontyphoidal Salmonella species across low- and middle-income countries (LIMCs), using 1088 point-prevalence surveys in combination with a geospatial model. Hotspots of AMR were predicted in China, India, Brazil, Chile, and part of central Asia and southeastern Africa. The highest resistance prevalence was for tetracycline (59% for E. coli and 54% for nontyphoidal Salmonella, average across LMICs) and lowest for cefotaxime (33% and 19%).