A Review of Antimicrobial Resistance in Poultry Farming within Low-Resource Settings

Summary

This narrative review addresses a significant evidence gap concerning antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in poultry production within low-resource settings, an area substantially less studied than industrial farming systems. The authors highlight that as low- and middle-income countries intensify poultry farming to improve food security, risks of AMR exposure to poultry, other animals, wildlife, and human populations may escalate. The review concludes that enhanced surveillance and targeted future research are essential to characterise the full epidemiology and ecology of AMR in small-scale poultry farming contexts.

UK applicability

While this review focuses on low-resource settings in low- and middle-income countries, the identified mechanisms of AMR emergence and spread in poultry systems have relevance to UK policy on antimicrobial stewardship and biosecurity in poultry production, particularly in informing approaches to prevent resistance pathways before they become entrenched.

Key measures

Not applicable; this is a narrative review examining patterns of antimicrobial resistance in poultry within resource-limited environments rather than conducting primary measurements.

Outcomes reported

This comprehensive review synthesises evidence on antimicrobial resistance emergence and spread in poultry production systems within low-resource settings. The paper identifies knowledge gaps in understanding AMR epidemiology and ecology specific to small-scale poultry farming in low- and middle-income countries.

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