The use of medically important antibiotics for disease prevention in food animals is a controversial topic. Some believe that administering sub-therapeutic doses of antibiotics in healthy animals through feed and water can help promote antibiotic resistance by creating selection pressure for drug-resistant strains of bacteria. But defenders of the practice, including the US Department of Agriculture and the American Veterinary Medical Association, argue that using antibiotics for disease prevention and control is important for animal and human health and for food security. Read more…