The Australian dairy industry must play a key role in helping preventing antibiotic resistance.
According to an article in the May/June 2019 edition of The Australian Dairyfarmer, individual farmers who work to reduce antibiotic use on farm will reap rewards through reduced costs and improved herd health.
Dairy Australia Animal Health and Fertility Program Manager Dr Jo Coombe was quoted in the article. She said antibiotic resistance was not just an issue for the livestock industry, but an issue for the whole community.
She said the overuse of antibiotics in livestock industries could create monster drug-resistant microbes that threatened human health.
Dr Coombe said Australia had a good story to tell, with less antibiotic use in its livestock industries than many other countries. Australia’s dairy industry also has a good story to tell about how it manages animal health, with a history of prudent use of antibiotics.
“But we do need to continue to improve how we look after antibiotics, how often we use them and how well we use them,” Dr Coombe said. To read the full article, click here.