[The effect of antibiotic supplementation on antibiotic resistance, transferable antibiotic resistance, morbidity, and growth in calves (author's transl)].
112 calves, divided into four groups, were given milk substitutes containing tetracycline (high-dosage feed), zinc bacitracin or Lactosat (control) and concentratesw with or without zinc bacitracin (Table I). We have investigated the incidence of antibiotic resistance and transferable antibiotic resistance in E. coli strains isolated from the faces of these calves and checked the growth and state of health in the four groups. Growth was also studies in a further ten feeding series comprising a total of 258 calves. Half this number received zinc bacitracin in milk substitute, the other half were fed milk substitute containing Lactosat, instead of antibiotics (Fig. 8). Tetracycline led to a quick increase of antibiotic-resistant straing (Fig. 4--6). This increase is significant in comparison with the other groups. Significant increases of resistance were also noted to ampicillin and chloramphenicol (Fig. 7), althoug these drugs were not used. A significant increase of the transferable resistance was also observed in the group of calves given tetracycline (Fig. 7) and to 65% at about 31/2 months after the end to 38% within 12 days (Fig. 7) and to 65% at about 31/2 months after the end of tetracycline feeding (Fig. 7). A marked increase of en-bloc transfer was also noted after completion of tetracycline feeding (Fig. 2). Up to slaughter, at the age of 6 months, no better growth was obtained with zinc-bacitracin supplement than with milk substitute without antibiotics but containing Lactosat. During the milking period the results varied between the different feeding series. In some series the mean growth in the zinc-bacitracin group was better than, in some no different from, and in other s poorer than that in the Lactosat group (TableII, Fig. 8). The only demonstrable positive effect of tetracycline supplement was a tendency twwards better health during the period of administration of the drug (Table II...