Animal health: resistance to antimicrobials and anthelmintics

Antimicrobial and anthelmintic drugs are used in large quantities in animal agriculture today. Since their introduction in livestock farming in the mid-20th century, widespread resistance to these medicines has emerged and the supply of novel drugs has diminished in recent decades. Resistant infections in livestock can be challenging to treat, seriously compromising animal health, welfare and productivity, with consequences for food security and economic and environmental outcomes. Furthermore, resistance, particularly to antimicrobials, represents a serious problem for human medicine. This chapter considers
the current situation in its historical context, as well as the varied and context-dependent drivers of antimicrobial and anthelmintic use and resistance. A range of technical and policy approaches and their respective challenges are discussed. Possible future scenarios are explored, along with factors which may influence the future trajectory of antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance