The team conducted in vivo research at a farm in Quebec, correlating the social status of pigs with the proximity to feed source and related exposure to antibiotics.
Dr. Fahima Nekka , Université de Montréal
Inappropriate antibiotic use reduces therapeutic efficacy and promotes the selection of bacteria with decreased susceptibility to antibiotics. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a serious problem in Canada as it threatens our ability to treat infections in humans and animals. In North America specifically, 50% of total antimicrobial production is used in agriculture with the heaviest consumption of these drugs in swine production. The objectives of this project include the characterization and prediction of the effect of animal feeding behaviour on the systemic exposure to feed-administered antibiotics and the development of new treatment strategies that will be more efficient and safer for animals and humans.
Furthering their research from last year, the team conducted in vivo research at a farm in Quebec, correlating the social status of pigs with the proximity to feed source and related exposure to antibiotics. This will lead to the establishment of rational bases for antibiotic use and the optimization of the strategy of their administration through feed. By modelling pig feeding data for the identification and quantification of the variability in drug exposure induced by animal growth stage, the team has shown a decreased tendency of drug concentration across growth stages, ranging from therapeutic, to sub-therapeutic to problematic.