Antibiotic resistance and COVID-19

COVID-19 deaths and antibiotic resistance are connected, states the recent article in Scientific American: “Rather than seeing the two crises as independent of each other, both are symptomatic of the challenges of living on an increasingly interconnected planet, and one will exacerbate the other”.

The global farm animal industry will need to focus on antibiotic-free production systems now more than ever. During recent years, the World Health Organization WHO has emphasized the need for saving the critical antibiotics for treating human diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic can be seen as the ultimate wake-up call on this.

Finnish broiler chickens have been raised without antibiotics already for 10 years. The antibiotic-free meat production is a true possibility also in other countries and for other animal groups. It of course necessitates strict biosecurity, robust animal genetics, well-planned feeding programs, and good-quality feeds. But it can be done.

We at Hankkija Finnish Feed Innovations are here to help you to succeed in this challenge. Please do not hesitate to contact us.