Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) ranks among the greatest health challenges facing mankind.

The relationship of drug-resistant bacteria in people to antibiotic use in food animals remains contentious.

Farmers, slaughterhouse workers, veterinarians, and their contacts are at risk of being colonized or infected with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, including zoonoses, providing a conduit for the entry of resistance genes into community and hospital environments.

Understanding rural-urban determinants of AMR and how it spreads between animals, humans and the environment is a central tenet of the UK Government’s strategy to reduce AMR.

The objective of this study is to explore the association between occupational exposure to food animals and antimicrobial treatment patterns (ATP), antibiotic treatment failure (ATF), and reported AMR.