Unveiling the Mechanisms of Bacterial Resistance and Countermeasures

The discovery and clinical deployment of antibiotics marked a paradigm shift in combating bacterial infections, profoundly benefiting human medicine, veterinary health, and agricultural productivity. However, pervasive overuse in both the clinical and livestock sectors has precipitated an alarming acceleration of antimicrobial resistance, now recognized as a critical global health threat. Compounding this crisis, livestock-associated resistant pathogens persistently colonize the food production continuum, enabling zoonotic transmission through animal-derived products and endangering public health, food safety, and human survival. This review delineates current insights into bacterial resistance mechanisms and evaluates innovative countermeasures, aiming to inform future antimicrobial development and resistance containment strategies.