WHY AND HOW ANTIBIOTICS ARE USED IN SWINE PRODUCTION

In summary, published research data clearly show that the use of antibiotics during all phases of growth benefits the rate and efficiency of body weight gain, reduces mortality and morbidity, reduces subclinical disease, and improves health in pigs. Also, antibiotics at breeding and during lactation benefits reproductive and lactational performance in sows. The economic benefits are several-fold greater than the cost of the antibiotic when a cost-effective antibiotic is used for this purpose. Monitoring and surveillance of microbial resistance in animals and humans has continued, with no animal-to-human infection path being clearly delineated. Although the incidence of antibiotic resistance in the human…