Antimicrobial resistance in animal and public health: introduction and classification of antimicrobial agents.

Bacteria have a remarkable ability to adapt, evolve and survive by developing resistance to therapeutic compounds. This ability is also shared by other pathogenic agents such as viruses, fungi, and parasites. Even when focusing on bacterial resistance only, this phenomenon is quite complex to analyse due to the diversity of animal species, the diversity of rearing environment, the number of antimicrobial classes available and the diversity of pathogenic bacteria involved. This introductory paper includes developments on the place of antiviral compounds in veterinary medicine and a classification of antimicrobials used in food-producing animals.