Antimicrobial resistance: a microbial risk assessment perspective

Area of Science:

• Food safety and public health
• Microbiology
• Risk assessment

Background:

• Rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in human and food animal populations is a significant global health threat.
• The link between antimicrobial use in agriculture and the emergence of resistant pathogens in humans is a key area of scientific and public debate.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the application of microbial risk assessment (MRA) in understanding AMR.
• To highlight the methods, assumptions, and data limitations inherent in current MRA practices for AMR.
• To advocate for the generation of high-quality data essential for robust MRA and effective control strategies.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent scientific literature on MRA applications for AMR.
• Analysis of methodologies, underlying assumptions, and data constraints in MRA studies.
• Discussion of data quality requirements for effective MRA.

Main Results:

• MRA is a valuable tool for evaluating exposure and human health risks associated with specific resistant organisms.
• The accuracy and utility of MRA are critically dependent on the quality of input data.
• Existing data limitations can hinder comprehensive risk evaluation and the prioritization of interventions.

Conclusions:

• High-quality data generation is crucial for improving the reliability of MRA in the context of AMR.
• Understanding data properties needed for MRA can guide future research and data collection efforts.
• Effective MRA, supported by good data, is essential for developing targeted control strategies against AMR in the food chain.