Antimicrobial resistance in dairy slurry tanks: a critical point for measurement and control

Baker, Michelle; Williams, Alexander D; Hooton, Steven P.T.; Helliwell, Richard; King, Elizabeth; Dodsworth, Thomas; María Baena-Nogueras, Rosa; Warry, Andrew; Ortori, Catherine A.; Todman, Henry; Gray-Hammerton, Charlotte J.; C. W. Pritchard, Alexander; Iles, Ethan; Cook, Ryan; Emes, Richard D.; Jones, Michael A; Kypraios, Theodore; West, Helen; Barrett, David A; Ramsden, Stephen J; Gomes, Rachel L; Hudson, Chris; Millard, Andrew D; Raman, Sujatha; Morris, Carol; E R Dodd, Christine; Kreft, Jan-Ulrich; Hobman, Jon L; Stekel, Dov J

Abstract

Waste from dairy production is one of the largest sources of contamination from antimicrobial resistant bacteria (ARB) and genes (ARGs) in many parts of the world. However, studies to date do not provide necessary evidence to inform antimicrobial resistance (AMR) countermeasures. We undertook a detailed, interdisciplinary, longitudinal analysis of dairy slurry waste. The slurry contained a population of ARB and ARGs, with resistances to current, historical and never-used on-farm antibiotics; resistances were associated with Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and mobile elements (ISEcp1, Tn916, Tn21-family transposons). Modelling and experimental work suggested that these populations are in dynamic equilibrium, with microbial death balanced by fresh input. Consequently, storing slurry without further waste input for at least 60 days was predicted to reduce ARB spread onto land, with > 99 % reduction in cephalosporin resistant Escherichia coli. The model also indicated that for farms with low antibiotic use, further reductions are unlikely to reduce AMR further. We conclude that the slurry tank is a critical point for measurement and control of AMR, and that actions to limit the spread of AMR from dairy waste should combine responsible antibiotic use, including low total quantity, avoidance of human critical antibiotics, and choosing antibiotics with shorter half-lives, coupled with appropriate slurry storage.

Citation

Baker, M., Williams, A. D., Hooton, S. P., Helliwell, R., King, E., Dodsworth, T., María Baena-Nogueras, R., Warry, A., Ortori, C. A., Todman, H., Gray-Hammerton, C. J., C. W. Pritchard, A., Iles, E., Cook, R., Emes, R. D., Jones, M. A., Kypraios, T., West, H., Barrett, D. A., Ramsden, S. J., …Stekel, D. J. (2022). Antimicrobial resistance in dairy slurry tanks: a critical point for measurement and control. Environment International, 169, Article 107516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107516

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 14, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Sep 16, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022-11
• Deposit Date: Mar 18, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 21, 2024
• Journal: Environment International
• Print ISSN: 0160-4120
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-6750
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 169
• Article Number: 107516
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107516
• Keywords: General Environmental Science
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/11195671
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022004433?via%3Dihub