The rise of colistin-resistant bacteria isolated from animals

<p>Colistin is one of the most widely used antibiotics in the animal sector and is frequently used as an animal growth promoter. Colistin, is also the last resort for treatment of human infections caused by carbapenem-resistant bacteria. Its intensive and systematic use may have led to the occurrence and spread of colistin-resistant bacteria in animals and humans. As the discovery of new antibiotics is rare, preserving the activity of colistin has become a priority for public health authorities. Monitoring of global prevalence, mechanisms driving colistin resistance, reservoirs, and mobile genetic elements carried by colistin-resistant bacteria are essential steps in the fight against the rise of colistin-resistant bacteria. In this mini-review, we conducted a literature review on phenotypic and genotypic colistin resistance in animals and evaluated the genetic relatedness of colistin-resistant plasmids and bacteria found in animals and humans. According to phylogenetic analysis of <em>mcr</em>-producing bacteria genomes, it seems that there is indeed a transmission of <em>mcr-8.1</em>-producing bacteria between humans and animals, animals and animals, and between humans and humans.</p>