Antimicrobial resistance: mechanisms dissemination diagnostics

Bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents is a subject of concern which has gained increasing attention during recent years. Antimicrobial agents have been known for more than 75 years and have considerably changed the therapeutic options in the fight against pathogenic bacteria in both, human and veterinary medicine. Nowadays, they are indispensable for the treatment of a wide range of bacterial infections including bovine mastitis. However, every use of an antimicrobial agent results in a selective pressure under which both pathogenic and non-pathogenic commensal bacteria can develop and/or acquire resistance to the respective antimicrobial agent applied and – in some cases – also to certain other antimicrobial drugs.