Antibiotics have been added to livestock in Industrial farms since 1946 to caused animal grow faster and put on weight more efficiently. Between 1985 and 2001, the use of antibiotics in feed for industrial livestock production rose a starling 50%. As global demand for animal protein grows, antibiotics use to raise food-producing animals in intensive production–mostly to promote growth rather than treat disease. According to a new report by the FDA 2010, approximately 80 % of all antibiotics used in United States are fed to farm animals. This means only 20% of antibiotics which were originally developed to protect human health, are actually used to treat people. It is estimated that approximately 75 % of all the antibiotics given to animal are not fully digested and eventually pass through the body to enter environment. This indiscriminate, overuse and misuse of antibiotics causing development of antibiotic resistant bacteria “Superbug”. These superbug are threat to humanity because infection from resistant bacteria are increasingly difficult and expensive to treat. According to the review on antimicrobial resistance by Jim O’Neill the Anti-microbial resistant (AMR) causes 700, 00 death (low estimate) annually and looking only at part of the impact of AMR, shows that a continued rise in resistance by 2050 would lead to 10 million people dying every year and a reduction of 2% to 3.5% in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It would cost the world up to 100 trillion USD. Only AMR alone causes considerable human and economic cost. Chicken and pig consume most of the antibiotics use in food animals for growth promotion around the world. The top three classes by global sales for animal use in 2009 were macrolides ($600 million), Penicillins ($600 million), and Tetracyclines ($500 million), all of which are categorized as critically important in human medicine (WHO List of Critically Important Antimicrobials, Geneva; 2011).
Antibiotics are being routinely administered to chickens on Indian poultry farms in small doses to promote growth and keep disease at bay, almost as a replacement for nutrition and sanitation. According to a study by director of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, Washington DC and New Delhi, Tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones, antibiotics commonly used to treat cholera, malaria, respiratory and urinary tract infections in humans, were the most commonly used antimicrobials in broiler poultry farms. Antibiotics are being used as a cheap substitute for basic nutrition and treatment. Low farmer awareness is as much a concern as low consumer awareness. The chicken is getting popularized day by day and its consumption increases in all parts of the world, so there is the need of regulations for judicious use of antibiotics in animal husbandry sector in India and abroad. India is among the nations with the highest burden of bacterial infections. According to a report ‘ antimicrobial resistance and its containment in India’ by Ministry of Health & family welfare Gov. of India; An estimated 410,000 children aged five years or less die from pneumonia in India annually; with pneumonia accounting for almost 25% of all child deaths. The crude mortality from infectious diseases in India today is 417 per 100,000 persons. Consequently, the impact of AMR is likely to be higher in the Indian setting.
There is a threat that the human race will again enter the situation of post-antibiotic era. If we are not going to wake up now it will be too late. We are not able to give our coming generation a safe and protective environment to live. Most parts of the developed world had already understood the situation and came up with the regulations to completely ban the use of antibiotics as growth promoters. Now the responsibility is on our shoulder to take initiative to keep the environment safe by saying no to the antibiotics for use as growth promoters.
There are many alternatives available and the effective one is a phytogenic noble solution named Nbiotic. It is not only environment-friendly and safe for long-term use but also poses the capability to replace the antibiotic. It shows promising results when tested in chicken as alternative to antibiotic growth promoters. Nbiotic is the herbal solution which contains herbs. Essential oils to inhibit pathogenic bacteria, promotes intestinal Microbiocenosis, improves gastrointestinal health, growth performance and feed Efficiency, Stabilizes gut mucosa and reduces incidences of Diarrhea & enteritis in poultry and animals. Nbiotic is the result of rigorous and continuous efforts and use of ancient scientific knowledge and modern research. The effectiveness and safety of the solution is ascertained by various research and trials in different climatic conditions of India and abroad. It is having all he potential to replace antibiotic as growth promoters in poultry and help us to reaching towards antibiotic free chicken.
There are total 11 national and 04 international trials with 13 publications in journals of national and international repute supporting the potential of Nbiotic. The future prospects of Nbiotic is very high because it is effective, totally safe for long term use, environment friendly and economical.
Interesting article Dr. Kumar. Is it possible to have the manuscripts and how available can one get Nbiotic in Cameroon. Doing my PhD research in poultry Nutrition and would have loved to use as one of my treatments to authentic the results in Sub Saharan Africa. My email is geotenngu@yahoo.com and full address:
Georges Tenny Ngu
Department of Animal Science
Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine
University of Buea
P.O.BOX63, BUEA
CAMEROON