Cut animal transport times to reduce rise of superbugs, says EU agency

Animal transportation times should be cut to reduce the risk of spreading antimicrobial resistance, according to a new scientific opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

The opinion, which was published on Tuesday (25 October), assesses the risk of the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among poultry, pigs and cattle during transport between farms or to slaughter-houses.

According to the report, the impact of the duration of transport is key as longer transport times allow for greater bacterial multiplication and transmission of bacteria between animals.

“When the duration of transportation increases, the exposure time to [antimicrobial-resistant bacteria] in other animals and the environment (e.g. air, truck) increases as well,” the report notes. 

Meanwhile, the exposure to an additional contaminated environment during resting periods, as well as the additional time to reach the final destination, may also increase the risk of multiplication and dissemination of bacteria in batches of transported animals, the opinion concludes.

The widespread use of antibiotics – both in human and veterinary medicine – has led to some bacteria developing AMR, making antibiotics increasingly ineffective against infections and rendering commonly known infections untreatable. 

Resistant bacterial infections alone are associated with nearly 5 million deaths per year worldwide, with around 1.3 million deaths directly attributed to the resistance superbugs, leading the World Health Organisation (WHO) to list AMR as among the 10 biggest global threats. 

The Commission’s recently set up European Health Union, which has made preparedness for health crises its key priority, has also named the antibiotic problem one of the bloc’s top three health threats.

Meanwhile, the EU’s flagship food policy, the Farm to Fork Strategy, has set the goal of halving the sale of antibiotics for farm animals in the EU by 2030.

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Frank Verdonck, head of EFSA’s biological hazards and animal health and welfare unit, said that, despite available data showing a reduction in antibiotic consumption in recent years, AMR “remains a pressing public health issue that needs to be tackled at global level and across sectors.”

This is not the first time that the agency has called for a reduction of transport times, having previously concluded that keeping journey times to a minimum is needed to improve the welfare of farmed animals during transport.

However, the impact of EFSA’s assessment goes beyond animal health and welfare because many bacteria can be transmitted from animals to humans. 

“When these bacteria become resistant to antimicrobials, the effective treatment of infectious diseases in humans can be compromised,” the opinion points out.

The report comes just as the Commission is preparing, under the existing legal framework, tertiary legislation to improve official controls on livestock vessels, looking to adopt it at the end of 2022.

However, it notes that specific scientific studies on the issue of the spread of AMR among animals during transport are lacking, highlighting several data gaps and recommendations for future research. 

Besides minimising transport duration, the EFSA report also offered a range of other recommendations, including thoroughly cleaning vehicles, equipment and spaces where animals are loaded and unloaded during transport. 

Meanwhile, mobile slaughter units could be used to generally limit transport time and stress and the time between catching and slaughter if food hygiene and licensing requirements can be fulfilled, it adds. 

Shorter, cooler journeys needed to protect animals in transport, says EU agency

Animals in transport require more space, lower temperatures and shorter journeys to ensure adequate protection, according to a new set of opinions put forward by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

[Edited by Nathalie Weatherald]

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