Minimising the use of antibiotics

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria could cause a 2.5 to 7.5 percent decline in livestock productivity by 2050.

The unintentional discovery of Penicillin in 1928 AD by Scottish physician Alexander Fleming marked the beginning of the era of antibiotics. With the development of this drug, the mortality of people and livestock from common ailments decreased miraculously. In the following few decades, several other effective antibiotics were discovered, which helped to revolutionise modern medical practices. These “magic bullets” helped people survive several lethal infections. Today, however, several antibiotics and other antimicrobials sold on the market are losing their efficacy and are no longer equally effective against pathogens which they used to kill previously. This phenomenon is commonly known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Rising concerns are legitimate as no new class of efficient antibiotics has entered the market in the last 30 years.