Working Paper: NBER ID: w26189
Authors: Gabriel K. Innes; Pranay R. Randad; Anton Korinek; Meghan F. Davis; Lance B. Price; Anthony D. So; Christopher D. Heaney
Abstract: Antimicrobial use in animal agriculture contributes to antimicrobial resistance in humans, which imposes significant health and economic costs on society. These costs are negative externalities. We review the relevant literature and develop a model to quantify the external costs of antimicrobial use in animal agriculture on antimicrobial resistance in humans. Parameters required for this estimate include: 1) the health and economic burden of antimicrobial resistance in humans, 2) the impact of antimicrobial use in animal agriculture on antimicrobial resistance in animals, 3) the fraction of antimicrobial resistance in humans attributable to animal agriculture, and 4) antimicrobial use in animals. We use a well-documented historic case to estimate an externality cost of about $1500 per kilogram of fluoroquinolones administered in US broiler chicken production. Enhanced data collection, particularly on parameters 3) and 4), would be highly useful to quantify more fully the externalities of antimicrobial use in animal agriculture.
Keywords: Antimicrobial Resistance; Livestock; Public Health; Economic Costs
JEL Codes: H23; I1; I15; I18; Q18
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| AMU in livestock (Q10) | AMR in animals (Q16) |
| AMR in animals (Q16) | AMR in humans (O15) |
| AMU in livestock (Q10) | AMR in humans (O15) |
| Withdrawal of certain antibiotics in livestock (Q18) | Changes in resistance patterns in humans (O33) |
| Use of fluoroquinolones in broiler chickens (L65) | Increased fluoroquinolone resistance in Campylobacter in humans (Y50) |