Factory farming accelerates evolution of Campylobacter and its antibiotic resistance

A study of nearly 2,800 Campylobacter genomes from chickens and wild birds across 30 countries shows that intensified factory-style chicken farming accelerates cross-species transmission and genetic mixing, boosting antimicrobial-resistance traits. The resulting diversity raises the risk of harder-to-treat infections in people, as global chicken numbers soar and farming becomes denser. Published in PNAS, the research links the scale of poultry production to rapid pathogen evolution and highlights ongoing antibiotic-use as a contributing factor.