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

Todman, Henry; Helliwell, Richard; King, Liz; Blanchard, Adam; Gray-Hammerton, Charlotte J.; Hooton, Steven P.; Baker, Michelle; Margerison, Jean; Wilson, Paul; Dodd, Christine E. R.; Morris, Carol; Raman, Sujatha; Hudson, Chris; Kreft, Jan-Ulrich; Hobman, Jon L.; Kypraios, Theodore; Stekel, Dov J.

Abstract

Dairy slurry is a major source of environmental contamination with antimicrobial resistant genes and bacteria. We developed mathematical models and conducted on-farm research to explore the impact of wastewater flows and management practices on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in slurry. Temporal fluctuations in cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli were observed and attributed to farm activities, specifically the disposal of spent copper and zinc footbath into the slurry system. Our model revealed that resistance should be more frequently observed with relevant determinants encoded chromosomally rather than on plasmids, which was supported by reanalysis of sequenced genomes from the farm. Additionally, lower resistance levels were predicted in conditions with lower growth and higher death rates. The use of muck heap effluent for washing dirty channels did not explain the fluctuations in cephalosporin resistance. These results highlight farm-specific opportunities to reduce AMR pollution, beyond antibiotic use reduction, including careful disposal or recycling of waste antimicrobial metals.

Citation

Todman, H., Helliwell, R., King, L., Blanchard, A., Gray-Hammerton, C. J., Hooton, S. P., …Stekel, D. J. (2024). Modelling the impact of wastewater flows and management practices on antimicrobial resistance in dairy farms. npj Antimicrobials & Resistance, 2(1), Article 13. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44259-024-00029-4

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 15, 2024
• Online Publication Date: May 14, 2024
• Publication Date: May 14, 2024
• Deposit Date: May 14, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: May 15, 2024
• Journal: npj Antimicrobials & Resistance
• Publisher: Springer Nature
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 13
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44259-024-00029-4
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/34859333
• Publisher URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44259-024-00029-4
• Additional Information: Received: 2 October 2023; Accepted: 15 February 2024; First Online: 14 May 2024; : The authors declare no competing interests.