Infectious Disease Special Edition (Nov. 28) – “Our study shows that the use of antimicrobials in the feed is the main driver of resistance,” said lead researcher Csaba Varga, DVM, MSc, PhD, DACVPM, an assistant professor of infectious disease epidemiology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “In addition, antimicrobials were also injected into the eggs at the hatchery, which produced resistance in E. coli.”
Dr. Rima Shrestha, BVSc & AH, PhD, MSc, a veterinary epidemiologist and postdoctoral research associate in the Varga Lab, said the research team is expanding its future studies to include other pathogens like Salmonella and Campylobacter, as well as antimicrobial use and resistance in the United States.