PhD Oral Defense: Impact of subtherapeutic administration of tylosin and chlortetracycline on antibiotic resistance and the gut microbiota in farrow-to-finish swine

PhD Oral Defense of Devin Holman, Department of Animal Science

The use of antibiotics in swine production for the purposes of growth promotion dates back to the 1950s.  This practice remains controversial, however, as it may lead to the maintenance of a reservoir of antibiotic resistant bacteria and resistance determinants.  The underlying mechanisms for the growth-promoting antibiotics also remain poorly characterized.  We investigated the effect of two commonly employed antibiotics, chlortetracycline and tylosin, given at subtherapeutic concentrations on the swine gut microbiota, antibiotic resistome, and on the culturable anaerobic bacterial population. 

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