Illinois Correspondent

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Tim Maiers, director of communications for the Illinois Pork Producers Assoc. (IPPA), was eager to respond to a recent study by University of Illinois (UoI) researchers that linked antibiotic resistance from swine farms to groundwater.

The study found the routine use of antibiotics in swine production can lead to antibiotic-resistance genes leaking from waste lagoons into groundwater.

“The issue of antibiotic resistance is something that we’re concerned about as an industry,” Maiers acknowledged. “As a public health issue, we realize that we need to continue to use antibiotics in a prudent way.”

However, Maiers said, the IPPA questions the accuracy and relevancy of the study, which was conducted by Tony Yannerell, postdoctoral research associate in the Institute for Genomic Biology, and undergraduate assistant Shazan Ahmed under the direction of UoI animal sciences department director R.I Mackie.

Specifically, Maiers said, the IPPA takes exception to the study’s characterization of pork producers’ “routine” use of antibiotics in feed and the modernity of the two lagoon systems the researchers sampled for the study.

“The UoI research looked specifically at fairly older lagoons,” Maiers said. “It has now become the industry standard in the state to use concrete pits for hog waste. If the lagoons tested were older lagoons, they would not have been constructed to the standards that we have now.”

The study concluded that some genes found in hog waste lagoons are transferred from one bacterial species to another, and that the migration across species and into new environments can dilute - or amplify - genes that confer antibiotic resistance.

“If the genes are there, potentially they can get into the right organism at the right time and confer resistance to an antibiotic that’s being used to treat disease,” said Mackie, who served as the study’s principal investigator.

Maiers doesn’t dispute the study’s findings, but questions their modern relevance.

“It’s one thing to point out the potential (for conferring) in older lagoons, but for the most part those aren’t being used anymore. Containment in concrete pits greatly reduces the chances for leakage into groundwater,” said Maiers. “In addition, UoI researchers were quick to point out that any of the genes that can confer antibiotic resistance already occur naturally in the environment. (Researchers) really don’t know where that’s coming from.”

IPPA takes exception to the perception that hog farms “routinely” use antibiotics in feed, Maiers stated.

“I think overall that we need to make sure people realize that pork producers are not just routinely dumping in antibiotics to feed their hogs with. Antibiotics are used when hogs get sick and they’re used to prevent diseases,” he said.

Maiers pointed to recent, stringent federal regulations imposed on pork producers and the many programs geared towards safe antibiotic use in swine operations as examples of good stewardship on the part of the pork industry, including Pork Checkoff’s Choose Antibiotics Responsibly initiative that increases safety awareness and provides antibiotic use guidelines for producers.

Common sense balanced with keeping an eye on the bottom line keeps most pork producers from overusing antibiotics.

“One reason is that it increases producers’ cost of production, so they are going to be very prudent about adding to that cost,” Maiers explained.

Studies by the Animal Health Institute conducted between 1999 and 2004 support IPPA’s claim that pork producers are becoming more conscientious about antibiotic use, Maiers said.

“We are using less antibiotics and pharmaceuticals than we did several years ago,” Maiers concluded, “and only a very small percentage of operations are using lagoon systems. We’ve moved on to deep-pitted, covered manure handling systems that are much more environmentally friendly and safe.”

This farm news was published in the Oct. 10, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.