U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center Webinar Series

Antibiotic resistance genes in private wells influenced by a mixture of human and livestock fecal sources: Extent of contamination, exposure assessment, and risk factor analysis
Dr. Tucker Burch
Research Agricultural Engineer
Wednesday, June 15 at 3 p.m. CST

Connection details:
https://www.zoomgov.com/j/16141396271
646-828-7666; ID: 161 4139 6271

Abstract: Antibiotic resistance in bacterial infections is a growing public health problem influenced by a combination of “One Health” factors – i.e., those related to people, livestock, and the environment. Forecasting the consequences of proposed interventions requires risk assessment performed in a One Health context, which allows one to balance the competing risks and interests associated with all three sectors. However, the requisite studies that simultaneously consider human, agricultural, and environmental factors are rare. This webinar frames Kewaunee County, Wisconsin as a useful model for consideration of antibiotic resistance from a One Health perspective. It presents preliminary findings related to the extent of contamination by antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in private wells, describes the risk of exposure to ARGs in drinking water from those wells, and addresses the landscape-scale risk factors associated with contamination by ARGs. It also discusses limitations of our approach, directions for further methodological development, and the need to apply it elsewhere for understanding the One Health aspects of antibiotic resistance in different agricultural and environmental settings.