Swine it Podcast #138 - Dr. Matheus Costa: Antimicrobial resistance in pigs - what research is being done

Bacterial infections in pigs are common on farms no matter how good your biosecurity protocols are. With the continuous use of antibiotics and vaccines in pigs we are beginning to see more antimicrobial resistance in common types of bacteria. In today’s talk, Dr. Matheus Costa chats with Dr. Laura Greiner about the increase in antimicrobial resistance we are seeing in the industry, and methods we are researching to try and deal with this issue.

What you will learn:

1. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

2. Combating AMR in bacteria

3. The interaction between the host, the microbiota, and the pathogen

4. Brachyspira and Strep. suis

5. The challenge with bacterial biofilms

6. How to help the producer with these bacteria

7. Key points

Meet the guest: Dr. Matheus Costa is a veterinarian from Brazil who earned his PhD at the University of Saskatchewan in 2016. After receiving his PhD, he worked as an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota and Utrecht University before returning to the University of Saskatchewan for an assistant professor position there. He teaches swine medicine and swine health and production. His research is focused on developing approaches to reduce antimicrobial use and mitigate disease spread. Dr. Costa is specifically interested in the issues associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at the animal-human interface and how they pose challenges for sustainable food production, welfare, and public health. Recently he has focused his research on infectious diseases to which antibiotic treatment is the only option for treatment in the industry (e.g swine dysentery and streptococcal meningitis).