Antibiotic Resistance in Agriculture and Medicine: Ways of Control

Place

College of Veterinary Medicine, UPLB, College, Laguna

Abstract

Antibiotics are used in both medicine and agriculture to treat and prevent bacterial infections. In the production of food producing animals, antibiotics are also used in feeds at subtherapeutic levels in order to improve growth rate. It has been estimated that about 80 to 90 percent of antibiotics use in animals constitutes growth promotion. This practice and the overuse of antibiotics in horticulture and aquaculture have been blamed for the development and spread of antibiotic resistance in animal as well as human pathogens. Because of the perceived danger to human if food-borne antibiotic resistance, there has been a global move to ban antibiotic use in animal agriculture. Although some antibiotic resistance in human pathogens has been traced to the antibiotic used in animals, most bans were based on the precautionary principle rather than on sound scientific evidence. There has been strong opposition from the animal industry and the veterinary profession against inordinate banning of antibiotic use in food producing animals. They, however, support the move for more prudent use of antibiotics as a means of controlling antibiotic resistance.

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

College

College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM)

Language

English

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