Although studies are limited, with the exception of penicillin, there is little evidence to support the use of\u00a0antibiotics added to animal feeds can affected the number of pathogens in pigs or poultry. There are few\u00a0studies that indicate that short-term antibiotic use in animals contributes to the development of antibiotic\u00a0resistant bacteria in manure. It has been established that the use of antibiotics will select for
\nantimicrobial resistant microorganisms in the feces of animals but the microbial ecology of fecal\u00a0microorganisms is rapidly restored once the antibiotic use is terminated. There is some evidence that\u00a0antibiotic use on the farm can lead to colonization of humans with antimicrobial resistant pathogens.\u00a0Antimicrobial resistant Salmonella in humans has been tmced to farms and contaminated manure is\u00a0potentially the source of infection. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are emerging as a global\u00a0threat to public health and VRE’s have been isolated from poultry and swine. Transmission of VRE’s\u00a0form animals to humans has not been documented. Indeed, the transmission of antibiotic resistant
\npathogens from animal manure to humans is a major pubic heath concern but there is yet little\u00a0information to support or refute these concerns.<\/p>\n