Use and Abuse of Non-Antibiotic Antimicrobials as Major Contributors Toward the Development of Antimicrobial Resistance

<OL> <LI> Evaluate and review current on-farm practices for the use of non-antibiotic antimicrobial agents, including disinfectants, with particular emphasis upon the poultry industry. <LI>Model, using appropriate in vitro and in vivo models, the use of a selection of agents and monitor the rise of MAR and fluoroquinolone-resistant mutants particularly. <LI>Use appropriate molecular tools to define the type and clinical significance of the mutants arising from these studies. <LI>Provide advice, for policy development, on the risks associated with use and abuse of disinfecting agents in the derivation of bacterial pathogens potentiated for antibiotic resistance.