antibiotics Conference Report Alternatives to Antibiotics: A Symposium on the Challenges and Solutions for Animal Health and Production Todd R. Callaway 1,* , Hyun Lillehoj 2, Rungtip Chuanchuen 3 and Cyril G. Gay 4 1 Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA 2 Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Bioscience and Biotechnology Laboratory, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA;
[email protected] 3 Research Unit in Microbial Food Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand;
[email protected] 4 Office of National Programs, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +1-706-542-0962 Abstract: Antibiotics have improved the length and quality of life of people worldwide and have had an immeasurable influence on agricultural animal health and the efficiency of animal production over the last 60 years. The increased affordability of animal protein for a greater proportion of the global population, in which antibiotic use has played a crucial part, has resulted in a substantial improvement in human quality of life. However, these benefits have come with major unintended consequences, including antibiotic resistance. Despite the inherent benefits of restricting antibiotic use in animal production, antibiotics remain essential to ensuring animal health, necessitating the