Antibiotics in animals

Use of antibiotics in animals and people.

Antibiotics used most commonly to treat animals in Europe

The Heads of Medicines Agencies and the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe undertook a survey to gain an insight into European prescribing of antibiotics for animals, in particular to highlight the diseases for which antibiotics are most commonly said to be prescribed and which different classes, including human critically important antibiotics (CIAs). The survey was completed by 3004 practi...

Resistance to antibiotics in the normal flora of animals.

The normal bacterial flora contains antibiotic resistance genes to various degrees, even in individuals with no history of exposure to commercially prepared antibiotics. Several factors seem to increase the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in feces. One important factor is the exposure of the intestinal flora to antibacterial drugs. Antibiotics used as feed additives seem to play an impo...

Epidemiology of resistance to antibiotics. Links between animals and humans.

An inevitable side effect of the use of antibiotics is the emergence and dissemination of resistant bacteria. Most retrospective and prospective studies show that after the introduction of an antibiotic not only the level of resistance of pathogenic bacteria, but also of commensal bacteria increases. Commensal bacteria constitute a reservior of resistance genes for (potentially) pathogenic bact...

The use of antibiotics as feed additives for farm animals.

Antibiotics are added at low concentrations to feeds as growth stimulants and at therapeutic levels to cure known diseases. As their action in both instances is to modify bacterial, protozoal or fungal populations, the division between the two categories is indistinct ; this is especially so when intermediate levels are considered. The present outline of use includes other feed additives which ...