GoKawiilSome strains of gonorrhoea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae; orange) are resistant to several antibiotics.Credit: Science Photo Library
Global map of resistance genes in livestock manure reveals their risk to human health
Livestock farming relies heavily on antibiotics, and manure contains drug-resistant bacteria that can infect people. A study led by researchers at China’s Northwest A&F University in Shaanxi mapped the global patterns of livestock-associated antibiotic-resistance genes that threaten human health.
Nature Outlook: Antimicrobial resistance
The scientists analysed more than 4,000 samples of manure from pigs, chickens and cattle in 26 countries over 14 years. They found more than 3,000 uncharacterized antibiotic-resistance genes, showing that manure hosts a more diverse set of resistant bacteria than was thought.
To assess the potential impact on human health, the researchers calculated each gene’s likelihood of affecting how well antibiotics worked. They took into account the gene’s mobility, the bacterial host’s pathogenicity and the associated antibiotic’s clinical importance.
The health risk of chicken manure exceeded that of pig manure and greatly exceeded that of cattle manure. Chicken manure from African countries was much more likely to contain genes that encode resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, such as penicillin, than was that from other continents. Pig manure from China was more likely to contain resistance genes — especially to tetracycline and aminoglycoside antibiotics such as gentamicin — than was the equivalent from other regions. The biggest driver of risk was the density of livestock production. The researchers hope that their work will help to focus surveillance.
Sci. Adv. 11, eadt8073 (2025)
Global clinical trial paves the way for approval of oral gonorrhoea drug
A large clinical trial for treating gonorrhoea has provided the basis for the US approval of an antibiotic last December. The antibiotic, called zoliflodacin (known under the trade name Nuzolvence), will probably be approved in other regions soon, with its developer promising affordable access in low- and middle-income countries.
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