Reports of a recent increase in sales of antibiotics for use in livestock may be linked to a growing incidence of bacterial diseases — at least within the poultry industry, according to the latest data from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY).
An industry survey funded by the two organizations determined that tetracycline use by turkey producers rose 54% from 2022-24 due to an increased incidence of colibacillosis and avian metapneumovirus. Although antibiotics are not used to treat viral diseases, avian metapneumovirus can trigger secondary infections that require treatment with antibiotics. The turkey industry also saw a six-fold increase in the use of lincomycin amid increasing outbreaks of gangrenous dermatitis and a penicillin shortage.
