Breaking the cycle

ANTIBIOTIC REDUCTION SPECIAL 2023 – read all articles

Many countries have implemented steps such as global collaboration, using international organisations to work together to address antibiotic resistance from a global standpoint, strengthened regulations and policies to restrict the use of antibiotics and improved the monitoring and surveillance of antibiotic use in livestock.

Concerns about antibiotic resistance among scientists, regulators and consumers have driven the ban on AGPs and have been a catalyst of change for other countries. New EU regulations concerning antibiotic use in animals came into effect in 2022 which prohibit the use of all forms of routine antibiotic use in farming, including preventative group treatments. This led farmers to seek out alternative strategies including implementing different management strategies, upping biosecurity measures and delving into nutritional strategies.

In this special section many of the aforementioned steps are covered. The articles reflect on everything from boosting the immune system naturally through the use of vitamins, phytoextracts and essential oil compounds to improving biosecurity measures to break the cycle of resistance.