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In December, U.S. producers witnessed another two instances of increased external market pressure to limit antibiotic use in pork production:

• Citing the dangers the practice poses to development of antibiotic resistance in humans, The World Health Organization issued another report critical of antibiotic feeding, renewing calls for strict limits.
• One of the country's largest institutional catering companies joined McDonald's Corp. in requiring meat suppliers to “voluntarily” limit or end the use of continuous feeding of growth promoting antibiotics, especially those that have human-use counterparts. McDonald's announced in June it would begin phasing in such limits.

While concerns about human antibiotic resistance are going to continue pressuring producers to limit antimicrobial use, there are even better internal reasons to look for alternatives:

• Economics

  Despite traditional reliance on the practice, continuous use is not always effective or profitable. One recent wide-ranging study based on actual farm results suggests continuous feeding of “growth-promoting” antibiotics in the finishing phase is neither effective nor profitable.

• Immunity

  Continuous medication may also either prevent or reduce the pig's ability to develop active immunity against important pathogens to which they are naturally exposed. That leaves them susceptible to disease if and when the antibiotic is removed.

• Antibiotic resistance

  Continuous use has been shown to increase levels of resistance in important pig pathogens. That threatens to make antibiotics less effective on the farm when they are really needed, regardless of whether it contributes to problems in human health.

More info

Dritz S.; et. al. 2002. Effects of administration of antimicrobials in feed on growth rate and feed efficiency of pigs in multisite production systems. J Am Vet Med Assoc 220(11):1690-1695.

Walter D.; et. al. 2000. The effect of a metaphylactic pulse dosing in-feed antimicrobial strategy on finishing pig health and performance. J Swine Health Prod 2000;8(2):65-71.

Mathew G.; et. al. 2002. Effects of antibiotic regimens on resistance of Escherichia coli and Salmonella serovar Typhimurium in swine. J Swine Health Prod 10(1):7-13.

Kolb J.; Sick, F. 2003. Summary of field trials implementing Enterisol Ileitis against ileitis. Proc. AASV:243-244.

ADVANTAGES OF NEW ALTERNATIVES TO CONTINUOUS MEDICATION

	THE OLD APPROACH:	THE NEW APPROACHES:
The results?	Medicate continuously	Periodically, strategically medicate	Vaccinate against ileitis
Total antibiotic use	↑	↓	↓
Immunity against disease	↓	↑	↑
Antibiotic resistance in the pigs	↑	⃡	⃡
Profitability	↓	↑	↑