Effects of Animal Agriculture on Disease Spread
Essay
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32469/aj.v22.26Abstract
The post-COVID-19 world has become more aware of the possibility of disease outbreaks and potential future health risks than in previous years. Issues concerning the future welfare of populations have come to the forefront of the public mind. Developing resistance to antibiotic drugs is a leading cause for concern. The animal agriculture industry uses antibiotics to increase the welfare of livestock animals and to prevent or treat disease. Criticisms arise regarding the implications of antibiotic use within food animals as it concerns human health through zoonotic transmission, and the distribution of disease from animals to humans and vice versa (Cella et al., 2023). While there are various animal-specific antibiotics, many of the antibiotics used in animal agriculture are the same antibiotics used to treat humans. Widespread antibiotic usage in livestock creates the risk for antibiotic resistance; while providing benefits for animal welfare and production, the consequence of antibiotic resistance and potential human disease outbreaks is a major concern.
Author Biography
Danielle Walters, University of Missouri - Columbia
My name is Danielle Walters, I am an undergraduate student from Saint Louis, Missouri. I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences with a minor in captive wild animal management at the University of Missouri–Columbia. Postgraduate I plan to apply to graduate school to obtain a master’s degree in animal science and obtain a position in the conservation field.
