Conference Weekend 10th-11th of January 2015 in Belfast Hilton on ‘The Science of
Antibiotic Reduction’
The conference was over two days and covered 9.5 hours of CPD training. Day one was a
technical day focusing on the intestine as an ecosystem, whereby changes to one part of that
ecosystem have knock-on consequences for the rest of the microflora.
Professor Clare Bryant BSc, BVet Med, MRCVS (Professor of innate immunity at
Cambridge University. Clare specialises in vaccines, antibiotics, allergies, pattern recognition
receptors and innate immunity)
‘How does Salmonella manage to hide in Chickens?’ This talk discussed how animals
immune systems recognise and deal with pathogens such as Salmonella, and why certain
bacterial species are pathogenic in man but not animals and vice versa. Clare gave a detailed
explanation of how macrophages and enterocytes recognise and phagocytose Salmonella
through NLR’s and TLR’s (different host species express different receptors and therefore have
different abilities to phagocytose bacteria). The talk discussed the inflammatory pathways
following infection and how these pathways caused damage.
Professor Doctor Richard Ducatelle DVM – (Head of Ghent University’s Laboratory of
Veterinary Pathology and member of the Board of Directors for Ghent Unversity. Richard
specialises in the balance between animals and their intestinal flora).
‘Dysbiosis, Wet Litter and the Intestinal Ecosystem: How to Treat as Disease without a
Cause?’ Richard’s talk discussed the relative changes in both the structure of the intestine and
the changes in the microbiota in cases of enteritis. The nutritional and management triggers for
dysbiosis were described, together with the cascade of changes in the intestinal flora and
subsequently the fatty acids produced by these bacteria. The effects of these fatty acids on the
intestinal tract were discussed. The presentation concluded with interventions and prevention
strategies for reducing the incidence and severity of dysbiosis such as Glutamine, Butyrate,
Aspirin and Zinc.
Professor Doctor Colin Hill Bsc PhD (Colin Hill has a PhD in molecular microbiology and
is Professor of Microbial Food Safety in the School of Microbiology at University College
Cork, Ireland. He has been an SFI Principal Investigator since 2002 (renewed in 2006 and
2010). He is also a Principal Investigator in the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC), a
multidisciplinary research centre focusing on the role of gut microbiota in health and disease.
His main interests are in infectious disease, particularly in defining the mechanisms of
virulence of foodborne pathogens and in developing strategies to prevent and limit the
consequences of microbial infections in the gastrointestinal tract).
‘Biological Solutions to Infection in Animals’ This presentation discussed the use of faecal
transplants, probiotics, bacteriophages and bacteriocins to control pathogenic bacteria. The
talk demonstrated that these interventions can work effectively but that these interventions
need to be highly precise in order to destroy the pathogenic bacteria whilst leaving the normal
flora unharmed.
Professor Doctor John Moore PhD (Professor John E. Moore is Clinical Microbiologist in
the Department of Bacteriology, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust
(BHSCT). He is Honorary Professor of Clinical Microbiology in the School of Biomedical
Sciences, University of Ulster and Visiting Professor in the Centre for Infection & Immunity,
School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University. John has
worked in the area of CF Microbiology since 1996 in supporting the Northern Ireland Adult
and Paediatric CF Services in Belfast and is particularly interested in better diagnosis of
bacterial and fungal infections in patients with cystic fibrosis, as well as environmental and
zoonotic aspects of CF-related infection).
‘Development and Management of Antimicrobial Resistance- With Focus on
Commensal Organisms’. The presentation discussed primarily, the effect of long term
antimicrobial usage on the respiratory tract flora in patients with cystic fibrosis (in these cases
antimicrobial therapy is continuous throughout life). The research demonstrated how
prolonged antimicrobial usage changed the relative bacterial populations together with
allowing opportunistic pathogens to take hold. The importance of Colistin in treating
Pseudomonas infections in these cases was highlighted. The presentation also discussed
mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance.
Dr Johanna Elvidge ‘ESBL Research and Monitoring- Aviagen Update’. This presentation
discussed the transfer of ESBL genes between bacterial species and how these genes remain
within a bacterial population.
Day 2 focused on the practical approach to antimicrobial reduction- using ‘as much as is
necessary but as little as possible’
Piotr Kwiecinski DVM (Piotr is a private poultry veterinary practitioner working in Poland.
Piotr has a keen interest in the use of essential oils as an alternative to antimicrobials).
‘How to Reduce the Usage of Antibiotics in Two Simple Steps’. Piotr’s talk discussed the
European-wide pressures to reduce antimicrobials in veterinary medicine. The use of
measuring MIC’s for antibiotics in cases to determine an appropriate dose rate rather than using
sensitivity discs. Piotr then went on to discuss the practical use of essential oils rather than
antimicrobials when treating enteric disease in poultry.
Andrezej Widziewicz MA (Andrezej qualified in business and works for Biopoint developing
their essential oils business)
‘New Tools to Optimise Poultry Production. This talk focused on some of the more
commonly used essential oils in Europe.
Dr. Richard Bailey Bsc MA Ph D (Richard qualified with a science degree before going on
to gain his Ph D in poultry intestinal health at the institute for food research in Norwich.
Richard currently works at Aviagen as a poultry health scientist. He has recently completed a
masters in animal breeding and quantative genetics. Richard’s area of interest is poultry
intestinal health).
‘Competitive Exclusion’. This speaker described the usage of competitive exclusion products
such as Aviguard in young birds particularly in relation to preventing Salmonella colonisation
of the intestine. The affect of fresh litter being a source of bacteria such as E. coli was illustrated
as opposed to birds being raised on recycled litter.
Rita Weber DVM (Rita qualified as a vet from Hannover University and completed her post
graduate training in Avian Medicine. She has worked in the pharmaceutical industry ever
since. In 2011 she joined Zoetis as their technical services manager for the German speaking
countries).
‘E. coli Vaccination’. Rita gave background information on how the vaccine’s E. coli strain
was attenuated and how it works in vaccinated birds. She then went on to give case studies
whereby the vaccine successfully reduced the levels of colibacillosis (and subsequent
antimicrobial usage) in broilers, broiler breeders and ducks.