"It is widely acknowledged that the inclusion of antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) in the diet of livestock increases growth rate. However, many questions arise on whether the benefits outweigh the risks, or vice versa. Recent legislative developments in the European Union and USA, recommendations by the World Health Organization, initiatives taken by the food chain, and consumer concerns all point to a widespread (voluntary) removal of antibiotic feed additives for animal growth promotion. In particular, Regulation (EC) 1831/2003 lays down provisions phasing out the authorisations of AGPs in the European Union as from 1 January 2006. This book discusses how this will affect the use/non-use practice of AGPs. Attention is given to the current status and rational design of developments and strategies for animal feeding without the inclusion of AGPs. Topics covered include benefits and risks of AGPs, risk assessment, consumer concerns and demands, regulatory aspects and international developments, mode of action and innovative alternatives, and recent advances in the analysis of AGPs and related products. This book contains peer-reviewed papers presented at the international conference ""Antimicrobial Growth Promoters: Worldwide Ban on the Horizon?"". The book is filled with valuable information on the pros and cons of use of AGPs as well as on alternative nutritional solutions. It is aimed at professionals and researchers in the feed and food industry."

In the context of disease pathogenesis, it has been observed that after inadequate administration of antibiotics, animals become more susceptible to intestinal colonization and organ invasion by enteropathogens, these could be related to changes caused in the gastrointestinal microbial community. Therefore, we must reconsider the negative consequences that disruption of the microbiome has in the biology of metazoans (dysbacteriosis). Alternations of the intestinal microbiota composition in animals can be caused by multiple factors, including the misuse of antibiotics, having as a result a negative impact on the development and function of the immune, endocrine, nervous, and digestive systems. For this reason, social concerns regarding the development of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms have resulted in an urgent necessity to find feasible alternatives to maintain animal health and performance without the use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP), in order to sustain livestock production as an economically viable source of food for human consumption. Hence, research about AGP alternatives such as probiotics, prebiotics, phytochemicals, organic acids, enzymes, and vaccines has become a priority for many scientists around the world.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the deadliest threats to global public health. This book focuses on dynamics in the landscape of AMR while informing about the latest technologies and strategies to mitigate it. The menace of AMR in different niches, routes of penetration across various domains, socio-economic impact, and the need for a 'One Health' approach in mitigating AMR has been emphasized. Factors involved in AMR, underlying mechanisms, and pharmacometrics in developing antimicrobials are highlighted. Emphasis is given to emerging technologies that are sustainable, scalable, and applicable to the global community, such as big data analytics, bioactive agents, phage therapy, and nanotechnology. The book also explores current and alternative treatment strategies to combat AMR, emphasizing the use of nanoparticles to target pathogens and as a viable alternative to antibiotics.

Antibiotic resistance has become a worldwide health issue, globally recognized as the first priority by WHO. Many forms of resistance can spread with remarkable speed and cross international boundaries. World health leaders are devoting efforts to the problem by planning strategies for monitoring the effectiveness of public health interventions and detecting new trends and threats. This volume focuses on the problem from different perspectives, taking into consideration geographical dissemination (soil and water), human medicine (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and veterinary (Enterococcus spp.) impact and molecular analysis. The purpose of this volume is to provide a useful tool for control and prevention and to discuss useful epidemiological data concerning ways of obtaining an accurate picture of resistance in different communities.

Does the use of low-dose antibiotics in livestock put human health at risk? Zoonoses—infectious diseases, such as SARS and mad cow, that originate in animals and spread to humans—reveal how intimately animal and human health are linked. Complicating this relationship further, when livestock are given antibiotics to increase growth, it can lead to resistant bacteria. Unfortunately, there are few formal channels for practitioners of human medicine and veterinary medicine to communicate about threats to public health. To address this problem, Dr. Laura H. Kahn and her colleagues are promoting the One Health concept, which seeks to increase communication and collaboration between professionals in human, animal, and environmental health. In One Health and the Politics of Antimicrobial Resistance, Dr. Kahn investigates the use of antibiotics and the surge in antimicrobial resistance in food animals and humans from a One Health perspective. Although the medical community has blamed the problem on agricultural practices, the agricultural community insists that antibiotic resistance is the result of indiscriminate use of antibiotics in human medicine. Dr. Kahn argues that this blame game has fueled the politics of antibiotic resistance and hindered the development of effective policies to address the worsening crisis. Combining painstaking research with unprecedented access to international data, the book analyzes the surprising outcomes of differing policy approaches to antibiotic resistance around the globe. By integrating the perspectives of both medicine and agriculture and exploring the history and science behind the widespread use of growth-promoting antibiotics, One Health and the Politics of Antimicrobial Resistance examines the controversy in a unique way while offering policy recommendations that all sides can accept.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – the ability of microbes to resist antimicrobials – remains an alarming global health threat. This report identifies 11 One Health “best buys” that, if implemented systematically, would improve population health, reduce health expenditure and generate positive returns for the economy.

The first book to offer practical guidelines on the prudent andrational use of antimicrobials in animals. Drawing onmultidisciplinary expertise to offer independent scientific adviceon a controversial area that is crucial to both human health andanimal welfare. The earlier general chapters cover issues such ashuman health risks and the problems of resistance to antimicrobialdrugs. The later specific chapters are dedicated to particulargroups of animals. Has an emphasis on preserving the efficacy of antimicrobialdrugs that are clinically important in human medicine Covers both companion animals and food animals, includingaquaculture Suitable for veterinary practitioners working in small andlarge animal medicine, aquaculture and animal production, as wellas veterinary students, academics and researchers. It will also beof interest to those more generally involved in veterinary publichealth and antimicrobial resistance.

This publication provides information on the impact of animal feeds on food quality, food safety, and the environment, and thus improves the basis for managing such risks. The book brings together in printed form six reviews from the FAO electronic journal AGRIPPA (available online).