Antibiotic-resistance gene goes from pig farms to patients worldwide

Antibiotic abuse in agriculture has contributed to China being one of the world's most
antimicrobial-resistant hotspots. The country is thought to have the world's second-highest number
of cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
According to prior research from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China consumed nearly half
of the world's antibiotics in 2013 — 162,000 tonnes, 52 percent of which were given to animals.
Antibiotics being so widely used, has caused a rise for concern.

Bacteria and other microorganisms that have developed resistance to antimicrobial treatments can
end up in people and limit physicians' ability to treat common infectious diseases, whether they
arise in a hospital or on a farm.

However, there was some encouraging news in last year's ministerial bulletin. Antibiotic
consumption in China's agriculture sector fell by 57 percent between 2014 and 2018, to fewer than
30,000 tonnes, according to the report.
But why are antibiotics so commonly utilised in these animals?

● Animal farming for meat is a particularly demanding operation, with pig sows, for example, not
getting enough rest in between births. This puts their immune system at risk.
● Pigs also live in cramped, crowded quarters, which raises their stress and disease transmission risk.
● Antibiotics are also occasionally used to help the animals develop faster.

Antibiotics have been demonstrated in human studies to increase the risk of weight gain and
obesity by wiping off good gut bacteria that help regulate weight.
Furthermore, genomic studies have discovered a significant increase in Escherichia coli in the pigs'
small intestines following antibiotic treatment. Half of all piglet deaths globally are caused by E.
coli.

"There is no consensus yet on the importance of antimicrobials in livestock being a main driver of the antimicrobial
resistance public health crisis. That said, the use of antimicrobials in agriculture is not only a scientific issue but
also a societal and economic issue that will need to be addressed. Given the dearth of new antibiotics in the
pipeline, our best hope to avert the current public health crisis is to improve stewardship of existing drugs, by
harnessing the potential of bacterial genome sequencing and translate it into improved surveillance and
diagnostics tools. (Professor Francois Balloux, Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University
College London)
Questions:

1) To calculate the population density, you will divide the population by the size of
the area. Thus, Population Density = Number of People/Land Area.
2) They are cautious in order to preserve this number and prevent the extinction of the
gorillas.
3)
- Overhunting or overharvesting.
- Habitat loss.
- High specialization.
- Pollution.
- Invasive species.
- Human-wildlife conflict.
- Disease.
- Low birth rate.

4) Prevent further endangerment of animals by introducing international efforts to stop

demolishing their habitats and interfering with their surroundings for human benefit.
5) It is often both the species and their habitat that are conserved. Larger populations
can be protected. It is less disruptive than removing organisms from their habitats.
The chances of the population recovering are greater than ex situ methods.
6) - Awareness
- Donations
- Campaigns
7) 15.7 percent
8) Viruses are much smaller than bacteria and consist of a single- or double-stranded
nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein shell called a capsid; some
viruses also have an outer envelope composed of lipids and proteins. They vary in
shape.