Alternatives to antimicrobial growth promoters in poultry

Content available at:
Español (Spanish) Português (Portuguese (Brazil))
Elimination of enteric pathogens from animal products intended for human consumption has become a priority due to the increase in the number of cases of toxic infections produced and in accordance with government regulations.
It has been estimated that foodborne infections in the USA cause over seventy-six million illnesses responsible for five thousand fatalities each year.
In addition, the annual economic loss attributed to the four most common enteropathogens (Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., E. coli and Shigella spp.) has been estimated to reach $ 7 billion dollars. 
As a result, several methods to control foodborne pathogens have been implemented, including the use of antibiotics.
However, there is great concern about the widespread use of antibiotics in animal production leading to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, and it also poses a potential risk to public health.
In recent years, substantial scientific evidence has shown that the use of certain antibiotics increases enteric colonization of antibiotic-resistant strains of enteric pathogens in domestic animals. 
As a result, an increase in the rate and severity of these infections in food-producing animals as well as in humans has been reported in many countries around the world.
Antibiotics are ineffective in the treatment of multi drug resistant bacteria. 
Equally frighteningly, is the fact that indiscriminate use of antibiotics can actually induce disruption of the intestinal microbiome, reducing the production of short chain fatty acids and increasing luminal pH in the distal gastrointestinal tract (dysbacteriosis).
In a recent study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science -2016-, we evaluate the risk of infection with Salmonella Enteritidis -SE- or Salmonella Heidelberg -SH– associated with the use of Enrofloxacin in commercial birds, and we checked the effects of a probiotic as an alternative to antibiotics..
The results of this study, together with those obtained in previous studies focusing on other antibiotics and enteric pathogens, suggest that the prophylactic use of some antibiotics in poultry increases the susceptibility to salmonella colonization and organ invasion.
The use of antibiotics should be limited to the treatment of infections caused by a specific bacterium and with the antibiotic to which it is known to be sensitive.
Our findings also confirm the results of numerous stu...