Thomas Van Boeckel, author of frequently cited research on antimicrobial consumption in food animals, gave an inspiring presentation in a side event during EuroTier. The postdoctoral Fellow at the Swiss Federal Institute for Technology (ETH) in Zürich explained the global situation regarding antimicrobial use and the key findings of his work. “If we keep going as we are in animal production and antibiotic use, we are soon going to face a global antibiotic resistance crisis,” he said.
During his lecture in a seminar organized by Trouw Nutrition Selko, Dr. Van Boeckel pointed out that there is a need to rely less on antibiotics as a mean to control infections. The biggest barrier to reduce antibiotics is the actual need of their use. Therefore, he explained, the efforts should be put on reducing antibiotics need to accomplish a reduction in their use.
Van Boeckel addressed an audience of animal producers facing this worldwide challenge, and he shed light on possible strategies for the industry. “There is no silver bullet to solve this problem,” he said. “We need to work within a range of options that include hygiene, building better facilities, limiting contact of animals with humans of other sources of infection. And it also includes potential nutritional solutions.”
