Antibiotic resistance is an important subject with serious public health implications. Microorganisms have an arsenal of complex physiological mechanisms to become resistant to different antibiotics, even under the most regulated use of these compounds. Not surprisingly, antibiotic resistance was found soon after the discovery of antibiotics themselves. Current levels of antibiotic resistance pose a threat to the efficacy of these important therapeutic agents. The complexity of this problem demands concerted, international mitigation efforts associated with strong surveillance to monitor progress. We proposed a hybrid half symposium/half roundtable organized by representatives of multiple PDGs to provide an overview of the current understanding of key areas within this complex topic. Participants will understand the 1) Goals of the National Action Plan for Combating Antibacterial-resistant Bacteria; 2) Antimicrobial resistance in environmental bacteria; 3) Current knowledge on the impact of different production systems; 4) Use of antibiotic in other less-regulated industries; 4) Need for combined efforts to successfully control antibiotic resistance.

The symposium (60 minutes, three 20-minute talks) will include:

• Gabriel G. Perron, Bard College. Monitoring antimicrobial resistance in environments
• Heather Harbottle, Food and Drug Administration. Lessons learned since 2003: FDA’s pre-approval microbial food safety approach to antimicrobial drugs used in food-producing animals
• Timothy LaPara, University of Minnesota. Use of antibiotic in other less-regulated industries

The roundtable (30 minutes) will include:

• Sophia Kathariou, North Carolina State University. Impact of different food production systems on antibiotic resistance
• Julian Cox, University of New South Wales. Use of antibiotics by the animal industry in Australia

Presentations