Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search

Queensland and NSW floods 2022

Visit recovery.gov.au to see what help is available.

Close
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Ministers
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Agriculture and land
    Agriculture and land Building stronger and more sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and land care.
    • Animal health
    • Farming, food and drought
    • Fisheries
    • Forestry
    • Land
    • Climate change and agriculture
    • Plant health
    • Drought and rural support
    • Mouse infestation advice
    Xylella

    Protect against unwanted plant pests

    Our biosecurity system helps protects us. Everyone has a role in supporting our biosecurity system.

    Find out more

  • Water
    Water Improving the sustainable management of Australia’s water resources for agriculture, the environment and communities.
    • Coal, Coal seam gas (CSG) and water
    • Commonwealth Environmental Water Office
    • Water policy and resources
    • Wetlands
    Water matters

    Water Matters

    Keep up with the latest news on the department's work in managing Australia's water resources.

    Read the latest edition here

  • Environment
    Environment Improving stewardship and sustainable management of Australia’s environment.
    • Biodiversity
    • Bushfire recovery
    • Climate change and the environment
    • EPBC Act
    • Environmental information and data
    • International activities
    • Marine
    • Partnerships
    • Protection
    • Report a breach of environment law
    • Threatened species & ecological communities
    • Waste and recycling
  • Biosecurity and trade
    Biosecurity and trade Lowering biosecurity risks to Australia, and assisting industry to accelerate growth towards a $100 billion agricultural sector by 2030.
    • Aircraft, vessels and military
    • Biosecurity policy
    • Cats and dogs
    • Exporting
    • Importing
    • Invasive species
    • Pests, diseases and weeds
    • Public awareness and education
    • Trade and market access
    • Travelling or sending goods to Australia
    • Wildlife trade
    Brown marmorated stink bug

    BMSB Seasonal Measures

    Australia has strengthened seasonal measures to manage the risk of BMSB.

    View our seasonal measures

  • Parks and heritage
    Parks and heritage Managing Australia’s iconic national parks, historic places and living landscapes.
    • Australian Marine Parks
    • Australian National Botanic Gardens
    • Booderee National Park
    • Kakadu National Park
    • Christmas Island National Park
    • National parks
    • Norfolk Island National Park
    • Heritage
    • Pulu Keeling National Park
    • The Great Barrier Reef
    • Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park
    The reef

    Great Barrier Reef

    Australia is protecting and conserving this World Heritage Area.

    Find out more

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)
    • Climate change
    • Australia's biological resources
    • National Environmental Science Program (NESP)
    • Our science strategy
    • Australian Biological Resource Study (ABRS)
    • State of the Environment (SoE) reporting
    • Bird and bat banding
    • Supervising Scientist
    Abares

    ABARES Insights

    Get 'snapshots’ of agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries, or analysis of key issues.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us Enhancing Australia’s agriculture, environment, heritage and water resources through regulation and partnership.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Contact us
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • Payments
    • People and jobs
    • Publications
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    A day in the life

    A day in the life...

    Our video series showcases the diverse and important work we do.

    Find out more

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Agriculture and land
  3. Animal
  4. Animal health
  5. Antimicrobial resistance
  6. Summary

Sidebar first - Animal

  • Antimicrobial Resistance
    • Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria of Animal Origin
    • Communique - Antimicrobial Resistance Roundtable
    • Questions and answers
    • Summary

Summary

​Report of the Department of Agriculture Survey for Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria of Animal Origin

Summary

The findings of the the Department of Agriculture survey for antimicrobial resistance in bacteria of animal origin support Australia’s rigorous approach to controlling the amounts and types of antibiotics used in our food animal industries. This approach is an important factor in preventing the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria. It should reassure public health agencies and consumers about the safety of Australian food of animal origin. The report also provides a baseline for comparison in future surveys.

The study findings are positive for the Australian livestock industries. The results showed that a low proportion of bacteria, isolated from the guts of the three animal species tested were resistant to antibiotics. The National Health and Medical Research Council reviewed the study’s findings and found the impact on human health is likely to be small.

Importantly, this survey found resistance to “critically important” human medicine antibiotics was non existent or low in bacteria isolated from food- producing animals. The World Health Organization defines “critically important” antibiotics as ones where there is potential that their use in humans may be threatened by increased resistance resulting from their non-human use.

All antibiotic use, whether in humans or animals, can result in bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. In some other countries the use of certain antibiotics in food-producing animals has been linked to human infections with antimicrobial resistant bacteria.The main focus of the survey therefore, was to determine the prevalence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the gut of selected food-producing animal species in Australia.

In this survey, samples of gut contents were obtained from healthy animals at 31 abattoirs in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Between 200 to 300 samples each from cattle (equal numbers of feedlot, grass-fed and dairy), pigs and poultry were collected between November 2003 and July 2004.  Bacteria isolated from the samples were then tested to see if they were resistant to a range of different antibiotics. The bacteria tested were Campylobacter species (poultry only), and Escherichia coli and Enterococcus species (poultry, pigs and cattle).

​

Contacts

Call 1800 900 090

Contact us online

Report a biosecurity concern

Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI
Last updated: 04 November 2019

© Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.