Reasons for antimicrobial use in water among U.S. pig farms in 2016, by age
Antimicrobial usage in farming facilities has come under fire in recent years due to the possibility that antimicrobial resistance in farm animals could spread to human populations. In 2017, the USDA pledged 11 million U.S. dollars to fund research to mitigate antimicrobial resistance. As of 2016, approximately 40.7 percent of nursery-age pigs were given antimicrobials in their water to treat respiratory disease. During that same year, just 26.4 percent of grower/finisher-age pigs were given antimicrobials in their water for respiratory disease.
