Magic bullet or threat to humanity: Antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance in animal agriculture in Canada, 1940-1990

With the widespread adoption of antibiotics after the 1940s, farmers, veterinarians, and industry leaders came to rely on antimicrobials as a cost-effective way to fight disease and promote growth in livestock. Though specialists were aware that antibiotics could have a long-term influence on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), little was done to prevent AMR from becoming one of the top public health threats facing humanity. Jody’s project examines the interdependence between human, animal, and environmental health to investigate how a dependence on antibiotics led to the transmission of drug-resistant bacteria from animals to humans. By tracing changes, continuities, and motivations, her project highlights how, despite early recognition of the threat AMR could pose, antibiotics became a vital component of animal healthcare practices, deeply woven into Canada’s public health initiatives.