Assessment of the Impact of the Non-Human Use of Antimicrobial Agents

There is increasing evidence showing that non-human antimicrobial consumption provides a powerful selective force that promotes the emergence, transmission and distribution of resistance in pathogenic, commensal as well as zoonotic bacteria in animals. This text aimed at discussing the selection, understanding the transmission and determining the distribution of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in pigs. The authors relied on the Danish experience (through the Danish Integerated Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring and Research programme) to design data and develop methods needed to answer questions that are of crucial importance for conducting microbial risk assessments.