Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern in the treatment of bacterial infections, including Salmonella infections. Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can cause foodborne illness in humans and animals. Antibiotics are commonly used to treat Salmonella infections, but overuse and misuse of antibiotics can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of the bacteria.
Several studies have documented the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella in broiler chickens. Antibiotic resistance in Salmonella from broilers is a growing concern, as broiler chickens are a major reservoir for this bacterium. Broilers are commonly treated with antibiotics to prevent and treat bacterial infections, but the overuse and misuse of antibiotics can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella in broilers. Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella can lead to a range of serious problems in human and bird health. The antibiotic-resistant Salmonella can cause many common antibiotics to be ineffective.
Reusing poultry litter can help boost bird health and may help prevent the transfer of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella, scientists have discovered. Researchers at the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Department of poultry science and the US National Poultry Research Center (USNPRC) found “good bacteria” present in used litter helped bolster the immune systems of broilers. Reusing litter instead of supplying fresh litter every time can help bolster the birds’ immune systems. The same study also showed that reusing litter may help prevent the transfer of antibiotic resistance between bacterial species. Similar findings published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology reusing of litters prevent the development of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella and other pathogens in broilers.
Furthermore, some of these Salmonella-infected chickens on fresh litter were infected with a multi-drug resistant strain of Salmonella. At the same time, they found no multi-drug resistant Salmonella in chickens on reused litter. Reusing litter can play a vital role in poultry health, as well as controlling the spread of antibiotic-resistant foodborne bacteria. Therefore, it is important to consider reusing litter to raise broilers since the study demonstrated its critical role in birds’ health and the control of antibiotic-resistant spread. However, the best of how these letters can be reused has to be considered in advance.
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The Department of Animal, Aquaculture and Range Sciences
The College of Agriculture, SUA
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