Animal agriculture leaders gather to discuss antimicrobial resistance

The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) convened animal agriculture leaders in Atlanta, Georgia to meet with human and animal health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This latest convening built on previous meetings that began in 2018. The discussion was timely, given the upcoming UN General Assembly High-level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance on September 26, 2024, in New York City.

The multi-day One Health discussion spanned animal agriculture priorities, foodborne illnesses, waterborne transmission, H5N1 updates and preparedness, fungal pathogens, worker safety, tours of CDC enteric pathogen laboratories, and more.

Through ongoing discussions and experiential learning tours with public health leaders, animal agriculture leaders identify opportunities to concretely improve One Health outcomes, like decreased occurrences of foodborne illness and decreased emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. During a similar convening in 2022, leaders identified joint research opportunities to foster greater understanding of potential transmission routes of Salmonella .

Conversations during this most recent engagement identified opportunities to better communicate One Health topics with a more unified voice. Additionally, farmers, ranchers, and veterinarians provided context about on-farm and ranch practices to increase CDC scientists’ understanding to enhance investigations of foodborne, waterborne, and environmental disease outbreaks.

“Participating in this latest convening not only demonstrated NIAA’s mission in action but more importantly fostered relationships that will continuously improve our food system through a true One Health approach. Since NIAA’s inception, we have been the convener for ‘hard conversations’ and a space where those who do not usually interact come together to explore, discuss, learn, and develop shared knowledge. It is extremely rewarding to see first-hand the growing collaboration between animal agriculture leaders and public health leaders,” said NIAA Executive Director J.J. Jones.

Leaders from the following organizations participated in the late August convening:

“By sharing our respective priorities and challenges with animal agriculture leaders, we hope to demonstrate that CDC is eager to collaborate and further efforts to advance human, environmental and animal health and address the threat of antimicrobial resistance,” said Alexandra Medley DVM, MPH, who serves as Associate Director for Antimicrobial Resistance for CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases. Medley also serves as NIAA’s Antibiotics Council co-chair. “We appreciate the organizations that shared their perspectives and priorities, and listened to ours, to foster discussion about how we can work collectively to fight antimicrobial resistance with a true One Health approach.”

NIAA will convene One Health leaders during the 14th Annual NIAA Antibiotics Symposium in Denver, Colorado, from November 19 – 21, 2024. To learn more about the Symposium and register to attend, visit AnimalAgriculture.org.