Public health consequences of use of antimicrobial agents in food animals in the United States.

The use of antimicrobial agents in food animals has caused concern regarding the impact these uses have on human health. Use of antimicrobial agents in animals and humans results in the emergence and dissemination of resistant bacteria. Resistant bacteria from food animals may be passed through the food chain to humans resulting in resistant infections. Increasing resistance to antimicrobial agents that are important in the treatment of human diseases, such as fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins for the treatment of Salmonella and Campylobacter infections, has significant public health implications. Efforts to mitigate the effects of increasing resistance require collaboration by several partners, including the farming, veterinary, medical, and public health communities.