Application of the One Health Approach to Reduce Antimicrobial Resistance in Bovine Mastitis

Document Type : Scientific-Extensional Article

Authors

1 Department of Animal Science, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj 77871-31587, Iran

2 Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Hillsborough, BT26 6DR, Northern Ireland, UK.

3 Animal Genetics and Breeding Division, Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, Agriculture Re-search, Education, and Extension Organization, Karaj 31466-18361, Iran

4 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada

5 Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Hillsborough, BT26 6DR, Northern Ireland, UK

6 School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 5AJ, Northern Ireland, UK.

Abstract

Bovine mastitis continues to be an important issue for the dairy sector, worsened by the increasing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which threatens animal welfare, public health, and environmental sustainability. This manuscript highlights bovine mastitis, particularly recent developments in diagnostic techniques and use of the One Health approach to address AMR in management of this disease. The One Health framework highlights the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health, promoting collaboration among veterinarians, farmers, public health officials, and environmental and social scientists to formulate integrated strategies. Presently, mastitis treatment predominantly depends on antimicrobials; however, their widespread use (and abuse) has hastened the rise of resistant bacterial strains, complicating treatment and heightening public health risks through dissemination of antimicrobial residues and resistant pathogens via milk, meat, and environmental pathways. In this review, we emphasize mechanisms of AMR gene transfer and stress the necessity of selective antimicrobial use for clinical mastitis and dry cow therapy, as well as prevention of transmission and enhanced diagnostics. Economic and environmental repercussions of AMR are considerable, requiring coordinated efforts to monitor resistance trends, educate stakeholders, and eliminate non-therapeutic antimicrobial use in livestock. The One Health approach facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration that is crucial for sustainable mastitis control, prevention of zoonotic diseases, and protection of global food security. In summary, integration of advanced diagnostics, responsible antimicrobial stewardship, and the One Health framework is a promising route to alleviate challenges posed by mastitis and AMR. This comprehensive strategy is essential for safeguarding livestock productivity, human health, and environmental integrity, ultimately ensuring resilient and sustainable dairy production systems on a global scale.

Keywords

References

Aidara-Kane, A., Angulo, F.J., Conly, J.M., Minato, Y., Silbergeld, E.K., McEwen, S.A., Collignon, P.J., WHO Guideline Development Group: Balkhy, H., Collignon. P., Conly, J., Friedman, C., Hollis, A., Kariuki, S., Kwak, H-S., McEwen, S., Moulin, G., Ngandjio A., Rollin, B., Rossi, Flávia., & Wallinga, D. (2018). “World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on use of medically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals.” Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, 7, 1-8.
Ala’a, B., Momani, S., Hasan, H., Obeidat, A., & Horabi, M. (2025). “Tackling antimicrobial resistance in the food chain under the One Health umbrella: a systems thinking approach with a focus on Jordan.” Science in One Health, 100115.
Alawneh, J. I., Vezina, B., Ramay, H. R., Al-Harbi, H., James, A.S., Soust, M., Moore, R. J. & Olchowy, T. W. (2020). “Survey and sequence characterization of bovine mastitis-associated Escherichia coli in dairy herds.” Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7, 582297.
Anholt, M., & Barkema, H. (2021). “What is One Health?” Canadian Veterinary Journal, 62(6), 641.
Brüssow, H., Canchaya, C., & Hardt, W. D. (2004). “Phages and the evolution of bacterial pathogens: from genomic rearrangements to lysogenic conversion.” Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 68(3), 560-602.
Cavalerie, L., Wardeh, M., Lebrasseur, O., Nanyingi, M., McIntyre, K. M., Kaba, M., Asrat, D., Christley, R., Pinchbeck, G., Baylis, M. and Mor, S. M. (2021). “One hundred years of zoonoses research in the Horn of Africa: a scoping review.” PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 15(7), e0009607.
CDC. (2022). One Health basics. Washington, DC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/index.html
Coast, J., Smith, R. D., & Millar, M. R. (1996). “Superbugs: Should antimicrobial resistance be included as a cost in economic evaluation?.” Health Economics, 5(3), 217-226.
Collignon, P. (2012). “The importance of a One Health approach to preventing the development and spread of antibiotic resistance.” One Health: The Human-Animal-Environment Interfaces in Emerging Infectious Diseases: Food Safety and Security, and International and National Plans for Implementation of One Health Activities, 19-36.
Cooper, B., & Okello, W. O. (2021). “An economic lens to understanding antimicrobial resistance: Disruptive cases to livestock and wastewater management in Australia.” Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 65(4), 900-917.
Dadgostar, P. (2019). “Antimicrobial resistance: implications and costs.” Infection and Drug Resistance, 12(2019), 3903-3910.
De Kraker, M. E., Stewardson, A. J., & Harbarth, S. (2016). “Will 10 million people die a year due to antimicrobial resistance by 2050?.” PLoS Medicine, 13(11), e1002184.
Dong, L., Meng, L., Liu, H., Wu, H., Schroyen, M., Zheng, N., & Wang, J. (2022). “Effect of cephalosporin treatment on the microbiota and antibiotic resistance genes in feces of dairy cows with clinical mastitis.” Antibiotics, 11(1), 117.
Dowling, A., O’Dwyer, J., & Adley, C. (2017). “Antibiotics: mode of action and mechanisms of resistance.” Antimicrobial Research: Novel Bioknowledge and Educational Programs, 1, 536-545.
Enshaie, E., Nigam, S., Patel, S., & Rai, V. (2025). “Livestock antibiotics use and antimicrobial resistance.” Antibiotics, 14(6), 621.
Gibbs, E. P. J. (2014). “The evolution of One Health: a decade of progress and challenges for the future.” Veterinary Record, 174(4), 85-91.
Hogan, J. S., Gonzalez, R. N., Harmon, R. J., Nickerson, S. C., Oliver, S. P., Pankey, J. W., & Smith, K. L. (1999). “Laboratory handbook on bovine mastitis.” National Mastitis Council, Madison, WI, 78(7), 485-488.
Howard, D., Cordell, R., McGowan Jr, J. E., Packard, R. M., R Douglas Scott, I. I., & Solomon, S. L. (2001). “Measuring the economic costs of antimicrobial resistance in hospital settings: summary of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Emory Workshop.” Clinical Infectious Diseases, 1573-1578.
Ibrahim, R. A., Cryer, T. L., Lafi, S. Q., Basha, E. A., Good, L., & Tarazi, Y. H. (2019). “Identification of Escherichia coli from broiler chickens in Jordan, their antimicrobial resistance, gene characterization and the associated risk factors.” BMC Veterinary Research, 15, 1-16.
Jamali, H., Radmehr, B., & Ismail, S. (2014). “Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine clinical mastitis.” Journal of Dairy Science, 97(4), 2226-2230.
Jit, M., Ng, D. H. L., Luangasanatip, N., Sandmann, F., Atkins, K. E., Robotham, J. V., & Pouwels, K. B. (2020). “Quantifying the economic cost of antibiotic resistance and the impact of related interventions: rapid methodological review, conceptual framework and recommendations for future studies.” BMC Medicine, 18, 1-14.
Jonas, O. B., Irwin, A., Berthe, F. C. J., Le Gall, F. G., & Marquez, P. V. (2017). Drug-resistant infections: a threat to our economic future. World Bank Rep, 2, 1-132.
Kaier, K., & Frank, U. (2010). “Measuring the externality of antibacterial use from promoting antimicrobial resistance.” Pharmacoeconomics, 28, 1123-1128.
Kapoor, G., Saigal, S., & Elongavan, A. (2017). “Action and resistance mechanisms of antibiotics: A guide for clinicians.” Journal of Anaesthesiology Clinical Pharmacology, 33(3), 300-305.
Kassa, T., Wirtu, G., & Tegegne, A. (1999). “Survey of mastitis in dairy herds in the Ethiopian central highlands.” SINET: Ethiopian Journal of Science, 22(2), 291-301.
Keane, O. M. (2016). “Genetic diversity, the virulence gene profile and antimicrobial resistance of clinical mastitis-associated Escherichia coli.” Research in Microbiology, 167(8), 678-684.
Maity, S., & Ambatipudi, K. (2021). “Mammary microbial dysbiosis leads to the zoonosis of bovine mastitis: a One-Health perspective.” FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 97(1), fiaa241.
Manyi-Loh, C. E., Mamphweli, S. N., Meyer, E. L., Makaka, G., Simon, M., & Okoh, A. I. (2016). “An overview of the control of bacterial pathogens in cattle manure.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(9), 843.
Mazet, J. A., Clifford, D. L., Coppolillo, P. B., Deolalikar, A. B., Erickson, J. D., & Kazwala, R. R. (2009). “A “One Health” approach to address emerging zoonoses: the HALI project in Tanzania.” PLoS Medicine, 6(12), e1000190.
McCubbin, K. D., de Jong, E., Lam, T. J., Kelton, D. F., Middleton, J. R., McDougall, S., De Vliegher, S., Godden, S., Rajala-Schultz, P. J., Rowe, S., Speksnijder, D. C., Kastelic, J. P., & Barkema, H. W. (2022). “Invited review: Selective use of antimicrobials in dairy cattle at drying-off.” Journal of Dairy Science, 105(9), 7161-7189.
Nader-Macías, M. E. F., Bogni, C., Sesma, F. J. M., Espeche, M. C., Pellegrino, M., Saavedra, L., & Frola, I. (2011). “Alternative approaches for the prevention of bovine mastitis. Probiotics, bioactive compounds and vaccines.” Bioactives Compounds; Nova Science Publishing: New York, NY, USA, 1-34.
Naserkheil, M., Ghafouri, F., Zakizadeh, S., Pirany, N., Manzari, Z., Ghorbani, S., Banabazi, M. H., Bakhtiarizadeh, M. R., Huq, M.A., Park, M. N., & Barkema, H. W. (2022). “Multi-omics integration and network analysis reveal potential hub genes and genetic mechanisms regulating bovine mastitis.” Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 44(1), 309-328.
Naylor, N. R., Pouwels, K. B., Hope, R., Green, N., Henderson, K. L., Knight, G. M., Atun, R., Robotham, J. V. and Deeny, S. R. (2019). “The health and cost burden of antibiotic resistant and susceptible Escherichia coli bacteraemia in the English hospital setting: a national retrospective cohort study.” PloS One, 14(9), e0221944.
Nobrega, D. B., Calarga, A. P., Nascimento, L. C., Vasconcelos, C. G. C., de Lima, E. M., Langoni, H., & Brocchi, M. (2021). “Molecular characterization of antimicrobial resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from Brazilian dairy herds.” Journal of Dairy Science, 104(6), 7210-7224.
O’Ryan, M., Prado, V., & Pickering, L. K. (2005). “A millennium update on pediatric diarrheal illness in the developing world.” In “Seminars in pediatric infectious diseases.” WB Saunders. 16(2), 125-136
O'Flaherty, E., Solimini, A., Pantanella, F., & Cummins, E. (2019). “The potential human exposure to antibiotic resistant-Escherichia coli through recreational water.” Science of the Total Environment, 650, 786-795.
Opatowski, L., Opatowski, M., Vong, S., & Temime, L. (2021). “A one‐health quantitative model to assess the risk of antibiotic resistance acquisition in Asian populations: Impact of exposure through food, water, livestock and humans.” Risk Analysis, 41(8), 1427-1446.
Paramasivam, R., Gopal, D.R., Dhandapani, R., Subbarayalu, R., Elangovan, M.P., Prabhu, B., Veerappan, V., Nandheeswaran, A., Paramasivam, S., & Muthupandian, S. (2023). “Is AMR in dairy products a threat to human health? An updated review on the origin, prevention, treatment, and economic impacts of subclinical mastitis.” Infection and Drug Resistance, 16(2023), 155-178.
Pires, A. J., Pereira, G., Fangueiro, D., Bexiga, R., & Oliveira, M. (2024). “When the solution becomes the problem: a review on antimicrobial resistance in dairy cattle.” Future Microbiology, 19(10), 903-929.
Prestinaci, F., Pezzotti, P., & Pantosti, A. (2015). “Antimicrobial resistance: a global multifaceted phenomenon.” Pathogens and Global Health, 109(7), 309-318.
Reynolds, C. A., Finkelstein, J. A., Ray, G. T., Moore, M. R., & Huang, S. S. (2014). “Attributable healthcare utilization and cost of pneumoniae due to drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae: a cost analysis.” Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, 3, 1-8.
Robinson, T. P., Bu, D. P., Carrique-Mas, J., Fèvre, E. M., Gilbert, M., Grace, D., Hay, S. I., Jiwakanon, J., Kakkar, M., Kariuki, S. and Laxminarayan, R. (2016). “Antibiotic resistance is the quintessential One Health issue.” Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 110(7), 377-380.
Salam, M. A., Al-Amin, M. Y., Salam, M. T., Pawar, J. S., Akhter, N., Rabaan, A. A., & Alqumber, M. A. (2023). Antimicrobial resistance: a growing serious threat for global public health. In Healthcare, 11(13), 1946.
Schwabe, C.W. (1969). “Veterinary medicine and human health.” Veterinary Medicine and Human Health. (2nd Edition).
Shamila-Syuhada, A. K., Rusul, G., & Wan-Nadiah, W. A. (2016). “Prevalence and antibiotics resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolates isolated from raw milk obtained from small-scale dairy farms in Penang, Malaysia.” Pakistan Veterinary Journal, 36(1), 98-102.
Smith, R. D., Yago, M., Millar, M., & Coast, J. (2006). “A macroeconomic approach to evaluating policies to contain antimicrobial resistance: a case study of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).” Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, 5, 55-65.
Solomon, S. L., & Oliver, K. B. (2014). “Antibiotic resistance threats in the United States: stepping back from the brink.” American Family Physician, 89(12), 938-941.
Stanek, P., Żółkiewski, P. and Januś, E., (2024). A review on mastitis in dairy cows research: current status and future perspectives. Agriculture, 14(8), 1292.
Stevens, M., Piepers, S., & De Vliegher, S. (2016). “Mastitis prevention and control practices and mastitis treatment strategies associated with the consumption of (critically important) antimicrobials on dairy herds in Flanders, Belgium.” Journal of Dairy Science, 99(4), 2896-2903.
Velazquez-Meza, M. E., Galarde-López, M., Carrillo-Quiróz, B., & Alpuche-Aranda, C. M. (2022). “Antimicrobial resistance: One Health approach.” Veterinary World, 15(3), 743.
Virdis, S., Scarano, C., Cossu, F., Spanu, V., Spanu, C., & De Santis, E. P. L. (2010). “Antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase negative staphylococci isolated from goats with subclinical mastitis.” Veterinary Medicine International, 2010(1), 517060.
Werner, T., Käsbohrer, A., Wasner, B., Köberl-Jelovcan, S., Vetter, S.G., Egger-Danner, C., Fuchs, K., Obritzhauser, W. and Firth, C.L. (2023). Antimicrobial resistance and its relationship with antimicrobial use on Austrian dairy farms. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 10, 1225826.
World Health Organization (2014). “Antimicrobial resistance global report on surveillance: 2014 summary (No. WHO/HSE/PED/AIP/2014.2).” World Health Organization.
World Health Organization. (2020). Milk safety and pasteurization. Available at: https://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/food-hygiene/milk/en/ (Accessed: 22 July 2025).
Zduńczyk, S., & Janowski, T. (2020). “Bacteriophages and associated endolysins in therapy and prevention of mastitis and metritis in cows: current knowledge.” Animal Reproduction Science, 218, 106504.
Professional Journal of Domestic
Volume 25, Issue 3 - Serial Number 34
In Progress
December 2025
Pages 6-12

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics