History and Current Use of Antimicrobial Drugs in Veterinary Medicine

Abstract

This chapter briefly reviews the history and current use of antimicrobials in animals, with a focus on food animals in the more economically developed countries. It identifies some of the differences between human medical and food animal use, particularly in growth promotional and "subtherapeutic" use of medically-important antibiotics in animals. The public health impact of the extensive use of antibiotics in food animals for these purposes, differences internationally in such usage, and the major changes in current practices now underway in agricultural use are summarized. The emerging framing of the dimensions of antimicrobial resistance within a "One Health" framework is focusing global efforts to address the antimicrobial resistance crisis in a collaborative manner. The rapidly evolving development and application of practices of antimicrobial stewardship in animal is a critical part of the huge global effort to address antimicrobial resistance. The outcome is still uncertain.

FIGURE 1

Routes of exchange of Escherichia coli between animals and humans. Note the areas where antimicrobial drug selection for resistance is most likely. The size of the circles or boxes does not indicate the extent of the scale of the movement. After Linton (26), modified by R. Irwin; reproduced with permission.