Retrospective analysis of antimicrobial resistance associated with bovine respiratory disease

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in beef cattle feedlots is a growing concern, with studies focusing on cultivation-dependent and cultivation-independent surveillance. However, the current collection of cattle-associated AMR research programs lacks connections. A retrospective analysis of commonly observed AMR genes in opportunistic bacterial pathogens contributing to BRD revealed that the presence of these genes differs by geography. Greater sampling in North America led to the identification of ARGs often encoded by Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida. The study also found a positive relationship between the relative abundance of ARGs in cattle-associated metagenomes with greater exposure to antibiotics. This analysis could guide future surveillance efforts and experimental designs.