In the early 1940’s, the first antibiotic, penicillin, was used to successfully treat bacterial infections.  This saved thousands of lives, including those of wounded World War II soldiers.  Today, antibiotics, which target microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and parasites, are essential for human and animal health.  They continue to save lives as well as increase animal production and efficiency.

However, exploration of alternative strategies to reduce the use of antibiotics is needed due to the growing concerns about antibiotic resistance developing for certain strains of bacteria which is leading to restrictions in their use in animals.  Some of the latest scientific breakthroughs and technologies, which provide new options and alternative strategies for enhancing production and improving animal health and well-being will be presented at an international symposium this coming fall.  This article is a preview of some research that will be presented.  “A number of the new technologies have direct applications as medical interventions for human health, but the focus of the symposium is animal production, animal health, and food safety.”  Says Cyril Gay, national program leader for animal health with the Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, MD.  “The results of this symposium will be an assessment of new technologies for treating and preventing diseases of animals and recommendations that will advance strategies for growth promotion and health in livestock, poultry, and aquaculture.”

Over the years, ARS scientists have developed and patented new technologies that could aid in reducing antibiotic use.  Some of those tools have been shown to be effective in treating mastitis in cattle, controlling foodborne bacterial pathogens, creating antimicrobials that kill disease-causing bacteria, and protecting poultry against parasites.

Through partnerships with industry and international scientists, ARS immunologists have found effective ways of using food supplements and probiotics (molecules produced by cells of the i8mmune system) and phytonutrients to fight poultry diseases like coccidiosis.  Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease that causes annual losses of more than $600 million in the United States and $3.2 billion worldwide.  That same technology is now being developed as an alternative way to treat intestinal bacterial infections caused by Clostridium in poultry as well.  They have been trying to find ways to grow poultry without using drugs and to enhance their innate immunity.  One strategy is genetic improvement.  Scientists have been working to identify genetic markers associated with enhanced innate immunity to internal pathogens.  They are using the genetic markers to select and breed birds for greater disease resistance.

In the field of Dairy Science, researchers are looking at Vitamin D as a promising treatment for Mastitis.  Antibiotics are currently used to treat mastitis, the most costly and common disease of dairy cattle. But, scientists may have found a viable alternative in vitamin D.  They have found that vitamin D can delay and reduce the severity of mastitis infection in dairy cattle.  A disease of the mammary gland, or udder, mastitis costs the U.S. economy $2 billion each year.  It reduces milk production, quality, and income and can result in culling of infected cows from a herd.  Research has shown that animals treated with vitamin D had a significant reduction in bacterial counts and fewer clinical signs of severe infection than untreated cows.  In the early phase of the infection, as vitamin D reduced the bacterial counts, milk production was greater in the treated animals than in the untreated ones.  Scientists are hoping the development of treatments using vitamin D will be a means to reduce antibiotic use either by using in tandem with antibiotics and shortening the duration of antibiotic use, or as a means against some bacteria that are resistant to antibiotic treatments.

They are also working on compounds that kill foodborne bacteria such as Salmonella and certain strains of E.Coli in swine as well.  The compound, a use of a chlorate developed by scientists and a nitrogen group of organic compounds working together are showing great promise as a way to kill the bacteria.  This could be used instead of certain antibiotics that are commonly used to treat diarrheal infections in young pigs and cattle.  For more detailed information, visit www.ars.usda.gov.  This article includes excerpts from the ARS article in the May/June 2012 Issue of the ARS Magazine by Sandra Avant.