Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026
05:59
Nasal Wipes for Influenza A Virus Detection and Isolation from Swine
Published on: December 4, 2015
9.9K
Amoxicillin-current use in swine medicine
1Octagon Services Ltd, Windsor, Berkshire, UK.
Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics
|January 21, 2018
Summary
Amoxicillin remains effective against key pig pathogens like Streptococcus suis and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. However, resistance in E. coli and Salmonella is high, often overcome by combining amoxicillin with clavulanic acid.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Pharmacology
- Antimicrobial Resistance
- Bacteriology
Background:
- Amoxicillin is a critical antimicrobial for treating systemic infections in pigs, including Streptococcus suis.
- Epidemiological cut-off values (ECOFFs) are used to assess antimicrobial susceptibility in porcine pathogens.
- Beta-lactamase production is a key mechanism of resistance in bacteria like Escherichia coli and Salmonella.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of amoxicillin, alone and in combination with clavulanic acid, against common porcine bacterial pathogens.
- To compare the susceptibility of various bacteria to amoxicillin using established ECOFFs.
- To inform future antibiotic classification and preservation strategies in veterinary medicine.
Main Methods:
- Review of pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic data for amoxicillin in healthy and infected animals.
- Analysis of clinical trial data for amoxicillin efficacy against Streptococcus suis, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella species.
- Comparison of amoxicillin susceptibility data with proposed epidemiological cut-off values (ECOFFs).
Main Results:
- Amoxicillin demonstrates good efficacy against Streptococcus suis (0.7% isolates above ECOFF) and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (11.3% isolates with reduced susceptibility).
- Pasteurella multocida shows low reduced susceptibility (2.6%) to amoxicillin.
- High levels of reduced susceptibility to amoxicillin were observed in Escherichia coli (70.9%) and Salmonella species (67.7%), largely due to beta-lactamase production, which is overcome by clavulanic acid combination.
Conclusions:
- Amoxicillin remains highly valuable for specific porcine infections, but its efficacy against E. coli and Salmonella is limited by beta-lactamase-mediated resistance.
- Combining amoxicillin with clavulanic acid effectively overcomes beta-lactamase resistance in E. coli and Salmonella.
- Differentiating amoxicillin's efficacy alone versus in combination could aid in preserving critically important antibiotics in veterinary medicine.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Microorganisms in Medicine and Therapeutics
1.2K
Microorganisms play a fundamental role in vaccine development, gene therapy, and therapeutic production. Their biological properties are harnessed to advance medicine and public health. Beyond immunization, microorganisms contribute to gut health, antibiotic synthesis, and genetic disease treatment.Live Attenuated and Inactivated VaccinesLive attenuated vaccines, such as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, utilize weakened forms of pathogens to closely resemble natural infections.
1.2K
01:10Electrical Current
7.2K
Electrical current is defined as the rate at which charge flows. When there is a large current present, such as that used to run a refrigerator, a large amount of charge moves through the wire in a small amount of time. If the current is small, such as that used to operate a handheld calculator, a small amount of charge moves through the circuit over a long period of time. The SI unit for current is the ampere (A), named for the French physicist André-Marie Ampère (1775–1836).
7.2K
02:50Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
6.2K
Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
6.2K
01:21Current Density
5.2K
The total amount of current flowing through one unit value of a cross-sectional area is referred to as current density. If the current flow is uniform, the amount of current flowing through a conductor is the same at all points along the conductor, even if the conductor area varies. The current density consists of the local magnitude and direction of the charge flow, which varies from point to point. Current density is measured in amperes per meter square, and direction is defined as the net...
5.2K
01:25Eddy Currents
2.7K
Since eddy currents occur only in conductors, magnets can separate metals from other materials. For example, in a recycling center, trash is dumped in batches down a ramp, beneath which lies a powerful magnet. Conductors in the trash are slowed by eddy currents, while nonmetals in the trash move on, separating from the metals. This works for all metals, not just ferromagnetic ones.
Other major applications of eddy currents appear in metal detectors and the braking systems of trains and roller...
Other major applications of eddy currents appear in metal detectors and the braking systems of trains and roller...
2.7K
01:19Displacement Current
3.9K
Ampère's law, in its usual form, does not work in places where the current changes with time and is not steady. Thus, Maxwell suggested including an additional contribution, called the displacement current, Id, to the real conduction current I.
3.9K