Antibiotics or Probiotics: Reducing Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotics are important to successful livestock production. Unfortunately use of antibiotics applies selection pressure that results in antibiotic resistance in exposed populations of bacteria and can also result in antibiotic residues in meat and milk from treated animals. Of major current concern is the risk of transfer of antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes encoding resistance from people to animals. A greater appreciation of the need to reduce antibiotic resistance in bacteria in animals is essential for the future of livestock industries.