By Blake Jackson
Antibiotics have been central to veterinary medicine for decades, particularly in livestock care. However, the rise of drug-resistant bacteria is creating a growing concern for both human and animal health.
A study from the University of Kentucky’s Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, published in Antibiotics, highlights the risks tied to this issue. Titled “Multidrug Resistance and Virulence Traits of Salmonella enterica Isolated from Cattle: Genotypic and Phenotypic Insights”, the research shows how antibiotic resistance in cattle-associated bacteria could impact public, animal, and environmental health.
The work is part of the One Health Center Initiative, a Grand Challenge supported by The Bill Gatton Foundation. This approach unites human, animal, and environmental health in pursuit of collaborative solutions.
The project was led by associate professor Yosra Helmy, alongside lead veterinary microbiologist Erdal Erol. Funding came from multiple UK research centers and programs, including the Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation and the Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences.
Researchers discovered Salmonella enterica strains in cattle resistant to several antibiotic classes, while also carrying virulence traits that help them survive and multiply.
“UK researchers are now working to better understand the mechanisms behind these traits, to develop new strategies to halt their transmission and identify more effective treatments,” Helmy said. “Antibiotic resistance isn’t just a clinical problem; it’s an ecological one. Our findings highlight that the farm, food supply and environment are all part of the same resistance puzzle. What happens in animals does not stay in animals.”
Over two years, more than 1,000 necropsied cattle were tested. Some isolates were resistant to at least three antibiotic classes, with several showing resistance to carbapenems antibiotics usually reserved for severe human infections.
“The detection of carbapenem-resistant genes in animal isolates is particularly worrisome,” Helmy said. “These are drugs we use only when others fail, and their effectiveness is now under threat from resistance traits emerging outside hospital walls.”
The study also found genes linked to biofilm formation and surface adhesion, making bacteria more resilient in farm and processing environments.
“These bacteria are stealthy and resilient,” Helmy said. “Biofilms are like a biological armor, once these pathogens form them, they’re incredibly hard to eliminate.”
The team is now sequencing genomes of the most concerning strains to track resistance gene movement across animals, people, and ecosystems.
“This work underscores why keeping antibiotics effective demands cooperation across medicine, agriculture and environmental science,” Helmy said.
Photo Credit: university-of-kentucky
Categories: Kentucky, Education, Livestock