Dealing with the challenge of antibiotic resistance in pig production

Description

This chapter describes the practice of antibiotic use in food animal production, with a particular focus on pigs, and the various questions this practice raises. The chapter begins with a brief history of antibiotic use in livestock production before examining the current state of research focused on developing non-antibiotic means of controlling bacterial infections in livestock. Finally, the chapter provides a case study of research in phage therapy as a case study of a (re)emerging technology that could be utilized in biocontrol of bacterial pathogens in agriculture.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 Historical background 3 Unintended consequences of antibiotic use 4 Changes in antibiotic use and availability 5 Antibiotic alternatives 6 Case study: phage therapy 7 Future trends and conclusion 8 Where to look for further information 9 References