Alternatives to Veterinary ANTimicrobials

Antimicrobials such as antibiotics are used to kill or inhibit microorganism growth in human and veterinary medicine. For instance, farmers add antibiotics to animal feed, speeding up their growth and preventing them from getting sick. However, the overuse of antibiotics in farming and agriculture is a growing threat to human health. The EU-funded AVANT project is developing alternatives to antimicrobials for the management of bacterial infections in pigs. These include a gut-stabilising intervention based on symbiotic products and faecal microbiota transplantation, and feed additive products, as well as alternative feeding strategies targeting sows and piglets. Mathematical modelling tools with be used to estimate reduction in antimicrobial use by 2030 if these alternative practices are adopted by the pig production industry.