The Swedish Experience of the 1986 Year Ban of Antimicrobial Growth Promoters, with Special Reference to Animal Health, Disease Prevention, Productivity, and Usage of Antimicrobials

Abstract

In Sweden the use of antimicrobial growth promoters (AMGP) was banned in 1986. The experiences gained from that ban are presented. In production of slaughter pigs, specialized beef, and turkeys, no negative clinical effects were reported as a consequence of the ban. In broiler chicken production, expected problems with necrotic enteritis were prevented by a continuous use of antibiotics, largely to the same extent during the first 2 years after the ban. Following the implementation of results from experimental activities during that period, the general usage of antimicrobials could be stopped and expected problems with outbreaks of necrotic enteritis was prevented. In piglet production, significant clinical problems emerged that created a demand for antibiotic-medicated feed at therapeutic dosages. During the subsequent 4-year period, the use of antibiotics increased, involving up to 75% of the pigs. Thereafter, the use of antibiotics decreased because of improved management, and could be halved in 1993 followed by a gradual further decrease supported by the addition of zinc oxide to the feed. In 1998, compared to 1994, the total use of zinc decreased by 90%. In 1998/1999, only 5% of weaning piglet producing herds used antibiotic medicated feed and 17% used zinc. The AMGP ban has shown that under good production conditions it is possible to reach good and competitive production results for the rearing of poultry, calves, and pigs without the continuous use of AMGP. As a result of the ban and a focus on disease prevention and correct use of antimicrobials, the total use of antibacterial drugs to animals in Sweden decreased by approximately 55% during the last 13-year period, and a relatively low prevalence of antimicrobial resistance has been maintained.

Factors associated with routine mass antimicrobial usage in fattening pig units in a high pig-density area

“…According to these results, we can hypothesize that those farms that did not use growth promoters did not present a higher incidence of diseases and did not use higher amounts of antimicrobials with a prophylactic aim. This would agree with other observations indicating that banning of growth promoters did not produce a long-term increase in the usage of antimicrobial agents in pigs or poultry [11,19]. This relationship between growth promoters and antimicrobials suggests a farm profile that can be qualified, so to say it, as "antimicrobial-friendly" and may suggest a higher use of growth promoters in farms with low productivity where the improvement produced by growth promoters would be sounder.…”

Effects of feed additives on the development on the ileal bacterial community of the broiler chicken

“…from 14 to 21 days of age, chickens in all the groups demonstrated a drop in diversity indices, and possessed few abundant species (2 to 3), suggesting another period of transitional ileal communities. These findings are significant because enteritis is most likely to occur in birds prior to 3 weeks of age (Wierup, 2001) and, in fact, Clostridium perfringens-mediated necrotic enteritis occurs most commonly in 2-to 3-week-old broilers (Long, 1973;Wages and Opengart, 2003). These findings suggest that transitional communities may predispose the gastrointestinal tract to colonization or increase the expression of toxin by pathogens.…”

Rational Use of Antimicrobials in Animal Production:A Prerequisite to Stem the Tide of Antimicrobial Resistance

“…The effects of removing antibiotic-based growth promoters from animal production systems are likely to differ depending on animal husbandry practices and farm conditions 1 . Prohibition on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters had a greater effect on producers with lower hygiene standards 106 . In India, a complete ban on the use antibiotics in animal production will result in 1-3% loss of annual meat production, or US$ 1110 to 2599 million.…”