Nov 3rd, 2021
3 mins
The European Food Standards Agency (EFSA) has announced that it has begun work on a new assessment looking at the risk of antimicrobial resistant bacteria spreading during animal transport.
The European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety requested the assessment be carried out and it will focus on the risk of resistant zoonotic bacteria spreading among poultry, pigs and cattle during transport to other farms or to slaughterhouses.
When antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs in zoonotic bacteria, it is known to compromise the effective treatment of infectious diseases in humans.
Marta Hugas, EFSA’s Chief Scientist, said: “Resistance to antimicrobials is an urgent public health threat, and evidence-based advice is critical to developing policy and legislation to meet this challenge.
“This new mandate – which focuses on the possible implications for human health – illustrates once again the growing convergence between animal and human health and the need for a One Health approach by assessors and policymakers.”
As well as investigating the factors that can cause the spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria through transport, EFSA will also review preventive measures and control options, and identify data needs to support further analysis of the issue. The final scientific opinion is expected to be finalised by September 2022.
