Antimicrobials are widely used in livestock production to maintain health and promote growth, contributing to the spread of drug-resistant pathogens in both livestock and humans. One Health Trust developed the first global map of antibiotic consumption in livestock (Van Boeckel et al., PNAS) and conservatively estimated that 63,151 tons were consumed in 2010. These estimates have now been updated, and we now estimate that in 2013 there were 131,109 tons of antimicrobials consumed by food animals globally (Van Boeckel et al., Science). According to these revised estimates, China, the United States, Brazil, and India remain the largest consumers, collectively consuming nearly three-quarters of the global total. Based on current trajectories, One Health Trust estimated that total consumption by livestock would increase by 52% by 2030. The main drivers will be growth in consumer demand for meat and other livestock products in middle-income countries and a consequent shift toward large-scale farming operations where antimicrobials are routinely used. Recent country-level estimates and projections through 2030 are included in ResistanceMap.
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