6 years of legally ordered abstinence from therapeutically utilized antibiotics as nutritional feed supplements in Switzerland antibiotics as nutritional feed supplements in Switzerland--random sampling of animal feces in various agricultural institutions
Lebek, G.; Gubelmann, P.
Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde 121(6): 295-309
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-7281 PMID: 384512 Document Number: 143892
The history, advantages and dangers of the use of antibiotics as feed additives are reviewed. Since 1972, only bacitracin, spiramycin, tylosin, virginiamycin and furazolidone have been permitted feed additives in Switzerland. Faecal samples from cows and calves in five cowsheds were examined for Escherichia coli with R factors; 21 of 42 cows and all of 21 calves were secreting the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Possible reasons why six years of legal restriction on additive use of antibiotics had failed to reduce the resistant strains are discussed.