Research slams antibiotics in animal husbandry

13 February 1998

Research slams antibiotics in animal husbandry

RESEARCH from Wolfgang Witte, of the Robert Koch Institute in Germany, shows the widespread use of antibiotics in farm animals is helping the spread of drug-resistant germs and should be phased out.

He wrote in the journal Science that farmers had good reason for feeding drugs to their stock; they gained 4%-5% more weight than animals that did not receive antibiotics.

• Financial Times 13/02/98 page 30