Antimicrobial Use in the Swine Production Chain and Implications for Environmental Impacts and Human Health: Current Status, Challenges, and Future Prospects

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, an increasing demand for animal protein, especially in developing countries, has taken place, lead to an increased practice of intensive farming. This has provoked the extensive use of antimicrobial chemotherapy in production animals, such as in the swine production chain, leading to antibiotic residues that have been deployed in the environment, significantly contributing to the insurgency of several antimicrobial resistances (AMR). Environmentally speaking, the combination of these antibiotic residues with other biocides, i.e., disinfectants, used for facilities’ sanitation procedures, leads to the establishment of biofilms acting as true shelters for multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, such as Salmonella spp., Campylobacter jejuni, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which can reach human beings via foodstuffs derived from the swine production chain. Hence, to control the spread of AMR, it is of upmost importance to develop novel strategies targeting the ongoing spread of AMR, taking care of the animal–human–environment continuum, i.e., following a One Health approach, involving specialists in veterinary sciences, microbiologists, and food technologists, among others.

Therefore, this Special Issue will focus on the current situation regarding the use of antibiotics and biocides in swine farming, abattoirs, and processing plants linked to the swine production chain, from a holistic point of view. In addition to this, ongoing research regarding specific strategies and alternatives aiming to mitigate the increasing level of AMR worldwide will be also covered. The goal is to provide key information to improve animal health and welfare through the improvement of management, husbandry, facilities, and staff training, having a direct effect on both environmental and human health.

We kindly invite original research articles, critical reviews, and commentaries from specialists worldwide. Research areas may include but are not limited to topics such as efforts to reduce animal stress during farming to reduce the use of antibiotics, environmental control in slaughterhouses and processing plants, and risk assessment linked to AMR and MDR bacteria.

Prof. Dr. Laila Darwich
Dr. Pedro Rodríguez-López
Dr. Carolina Ripolles-Avila
Guest Editors

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