A review of major Salmonella outbreaks in the U.S. over the last three decades has revealed that Salmonella is developing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) due to the overuse of antibiotics for livestock, and that foodborne illness outbreaks linked to Salmonella in poultry are continuously increasing.
According to the study, of all foodborne bacteria, Salmonella causes the highest number of foodborne illnesses at 15.5 cases per 100,000. The pathogen also causes an estimated 410,000 antibiotic-resistant infections each year in the U.S. The overuse of antimicrobials in livestock and poultry agriculture over the past 70 years has contributed to the rise of AMR in Salmonella; the estimated total antimicrobial consumption related to livestock in 2010 was 63,151 tons, and it has been predicted that antimicrobial consumption will rise 67 percent by 2030.