Gene exchange encouraged by antibiotics in swine feed

A study by Heather Allen and her colleagues at the USDA National Animal Disease Center (NaDC) in Ames, Iowa published in an online journal called mBio showed that by adding antibiotics to swine feed causes microorganisms in the guts of the pigs to share genes that could spread antibiotic resistance. “Induction of the prophages is showing us that antibiotics are stimulating gene transfer,” says Allen. “This is significant because phages have previously been shown to carry bacterial fitness genes such as antibiotic resistance genes.” Read more ...