This project studieshow effective the newrules and technologies are in reducing the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria on dairy farms, and how this can lower health risks to people, especially…

Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of California, Irvine received a $994,586 Project Grant from the Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI, CFDA 10.310) awarded on July 15, 2025, with a completion date of July 14, 2030. The project delivers comprehensive research and analysis services to evaluate the effectiveness of regulations and emerging technologies in reducing antibiotic-resistant bacteria on U.S. dairy farms. Key deliverables include a retrospective analysis of antibiotic resistance trends using 10 years of historical data from dairy farms, field sampling and laboratory testing from operations in California and Iowa using DNA sequencing and culture-based methods to detect antibiotic-resistant E. coli, and evaluation of novel manure treatment technologies across eight dairy facilities to assess efficacy in eliminating resistant bacteria.

In addition to empirical research services, the project provides modeling and health risk assessment services to estimate the public health impacts of antibiotic-resistant bacteria transmission through food and manure management practices. The research program includes education and outreach services designed to increase farmer and public understanding of antibiotic stewardship and resistance mitigation. These integrated research, analytical, and educational services aim to generate evidence-based recommendations for improving antibiotic use practices on farms and reducing the public health threat posed by antibiotic resistance, supporting national food safety and agricultural productivity objectives.

This project studieshow effective the newrules and technologies are in reducing the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria on dairy farms, and how this can lower health risks to people, especially through food. The project will focus on four main goals:assessing the impact of regulations: how well do rules to limit antibiotic use in animals work to reduce resistance?evaluating manure treatments: how well do new methods for treating animal waste help remove antibiotic-resistant bacteria?understanding health risks: how do food and manure management practices affect the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and health risks?education and outreach: helping farmers and the public understand these issues better. The project will first look at data collected from U.S. Dairy farms over the past 10 years to see how antibiotic resistance changed after rules were put in place to limit antibiotic use in animals. The team will also collect new samples from farms in california and iowa to continue studying these trends. They will use both lab-based and advanced DNA sequencing methods to check for antibiotic-resistant E. Coli, a harmful bacteria. The project will also test new technologies for treating manure on eight different dairies to see how effective they are at removing resistant bacteria. Finally, the researchers will use a model to estimate how these bacteria could affect both farmers and consumers. The ultimate goal is to improve how antibiotics are used on farms and help reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance, contributing to the global fight against this growing health threat.