Modelling the impact of wastewater flows and management practices on antimicrobial resistance in dairy farms

A study on dairy slurry found that farm activities, such as disposing of spent copper and zinc footbath, contribute to temporary fluctuations in cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli. The model revealed that resistance is more frequently observed with chromosomally encoded determinants, rather than plasmids. Lower resistance levels were predicted in conditions with lower growth and higher death rates. The study suggests farm-specific solutions to reduce antimicrobial resistance, including careful disposal or recycling of waste antimicrobial metals.