FAO publishes first national report on AMR surveillance in India’s fisheries, livestock sectors

FAO publishes first national report on AMR surveillance in India’s fisheries, livestock sectors

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Health

Report: Indian Network for Fishery and Animal Antimicrobial Resistance (INFAAR) Report 2019-22.

Published by: The report is a collaborative effort by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Details:

• It marks the first antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance trends report in India’s fisheries and livestock sectors.
• INFAAR, encompassing 20 laboratories, aims to inform policy and decision-making for AMR containment through data on AMR trends.

Multidrug Resistance (MDR) in Aquaculture and Livestock Sectors:

• Escherichia coli is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus Escherichia that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms.
• Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes such as EPEC, and ETEC are pathogenic.
  • E. coli Isolates:39% of aquaculture-origin E. coli isolates showed multidrug resistance (MDR), meaning resistance to three or more classes of antimicrobials.
  • In food-animal samples, a significant pattern of MDR was observed, particularly against cefotaxime-enrofloxacin and tetracycline, with 12.6% of isolates showing resistance. Notably, 15.8% of poultry isolates displayed simultaneous resistance to these antimicrobials.
• Extended Spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)and AmpC β-lactamase Producers: The study identified 370 isolates of ESBL-producing E. coli and 292 isolates of AmpC type β-lactamase producers, both associated with MDR.

Key Findings in the Fisheries Sector:

• Surveillance covered three aquaculture systems: freshwater, brackish water, and marine.
• Over 3,087 farms across 42 districts in 12 Indian states were surveyed.
• A total of 6,789 bacterial isolates (including species like Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and others) were analyzed.
  • Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive spherically shaped bacterium, a member of the Bacillota, and is a usual member of the microbiota of the body, frequently found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin.
  • Methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) is a drug-resistant variant of Staphylococcus.
• High resistance was observed against antibiotics such as penicillin and erythromycin across different systems.
• Specific resistance patterns were noted for Aeromonas species in freshwater systems and Vibrio species in saltwater environments.

Key Findings in the Livestock Sector:

• Surveillance included major food-producing animals like cattle, buffalo, goats, sheep, pigs, and poultry.
• Out of 5,983 samples,2,076 E. coli and 1,244 Staphylococcus isolates were characterized.
• Notable resistance was observed against cefotaxime and ampicillin in E. coli isolates.
• Approximately 75% of both S. aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CONS) isolates exhibited penicillin resistance.
• Poultry-origin isolates displayed higher resistance rates compared to other food animals for all tested antibiotics.

Implications and Concerns:

• The report underscores the critical issue of AMR in both the fisheries and livestock sectors in India.
• The data highlight the urgent need for informed policy and measures to contain AMR spread, crucial for both human and animal health.
• Specific attention is needed to address the high resistance rates observed, particularly in pathogens that pose significant health risks to humans.
• This comprehensive surveillance data serves as a foundation for future research, policy formulation, and targeted interventions to combat antimicrobial resistance in India’s crucial agricultural sectors.

Source: DTE