Reviews

"I am honored to be asked to write a preface for the collection of articles that comprise Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria from Livestock and Companion Animals. The authors are all leaders in the field and have provided comprehensive summaries of their knowledge in all aspects of the use of antibiotics and development of resistance in animal health. It is regrettable that it has taken 50 years to recognize that this worldwide plague of misuse and resistance development cannot be reversed. Given recent publications, the extent of antibiotic use in commercial fish farming in Southeast Asia reminds us that there are still many hurdles to be overcome if we want to control the misuse of antibiotics in humans. Finding new antimicrobials has always been difficult, and it is to be hoped that modern molecular biology and its constant technical improvements will save the day and provide humans with reliable agents for disease treatment without the inevitability of drug resistance. Improving knowledge of the science of low-molecular-weight microbial compounds will perhaps, in time, teach us how to use antibiotics for human use. Antimicrobial discovery must continue apace such that a source of reliable agents will always be available, whether for human or animal health. This compendium of interesting and focused articles is valuable, and it promises to provide expert advice on all aspects of antimicrobial resistance and ways of controlling it. Remember that in the 1950s antibiotics were miracles, but they have become menaces! It is up to us to focus on intelligent use of small molecules as cures and to finally eliminate infectious diseases in humans." --Julian Davies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada