Non-Drug therapeutic strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance in livestock: a review.

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents an escalating global public health crisis, projected to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050. Pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evade treatments in animals and humans due to overuse and misuse of antimicrobials, particularly antibiotics, in medical and veterinary practices. This drives a worldwide surge in resistant infections, disproportionately burdening livestock health and productivity.

OBJECTIVES

This review examines the global rise of AMR and its impacts on livestock and public health, underscoring the need for non-drug therapeutic alternatives.

CONCLUSION

Promising alternatives include genetic engineering and CRISPR-Cas systems, phage therapy, probiotics, antimicrobial peptides, fecal microbiota transplantation, phytotherapy and essential oils, immunomodulators, nanotechnology, biofilm disruptors, acidifiers, vaccination strategies, and precision livestock farming. These approaches target resistance mechanisms without relying on conventional drugs. Despite challenges like knowledge gaps, regulatory barriers, financial limitations, and policy gaps, stakeholders must prioritize accelerated research, regulatory reforms, investments, and international collaboration. Rapid integration of these technologies into human and veterinary medicine is vital to mitigate AMR's health, economic, and social impacts.