Resistome composition and distribution in the conventional and antibiotic-free poultry production systems

• Grant number: 23/01195-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2023
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Products of Animal Origin Inspection
• Principal Investigator: Juliano Gonçalves Pereira
• Grantee: Emanoelli Aparecida Rodrigues dos Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/03062-6 - Epidemiological characterization of the conventional and antibiotic-free poultry production in antibiotic resistance perspective using a One Health approach, AP.PNGP.PI

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance is a relevant issue in public health and, to reduce the negative effects on the population, more sustainable alternatives for food production need to be adopted. Meat production, especially poultry production, uses large amounts of antibiotics and, as an adverse effect of this use, resistant bacteria can arise and spread along the chain, transferring resistance genes (ARGs) to other bacteria or environment. In this sense, studying alternative ways of producing meat, such as the antibiotic-free system, can provide important information on the issue of dissemination of resistance in meat production, supporting the application of tools and practical actions that can be applied in production. conventional to reduce the transmission and spread of resistant bacteria or ARGs. The objective of this study is to characterize conventional and antibiotic-free poultry production chains as a way of extracting relevant information that interfere with the dissemination of ARGs. Batches of poultry raised in conventional and antibiotic-free systems will be monitored from the farm to slaughter, with samples collected over two years. Samples will be subjected to resistome determination to assess the presence of ARGs and strains of Salmonella, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. will be submitted to sequencing (WGS). Carrying out this study will allow obtaining relevant results for public health, allowing the characterization of the role of conventional and antibiotic-free production chains in the distribution of determinants of antibiotic resistance. Considering these results, precise and objective strategies can be defined, aiming at controlling antibiotic resistance. From the execution of this study, it is expected to determine important variables of the alternative production chain that can be applied in the conventional production of chicken meat, whether measures are directly related to production or to the environment of the farm or slaughterhouse.