Antibiotic Use in Food Animals Addressed at Workshop Hosted by CSU and National Western Stock Show Dec. 6

Ranching and the production of livestock have been part of Colorado’s culture and a vital part of the economy since the pioneers arrived from the east. Livestock production continues today despite a growing number of new and complex challenges facing producers and the Western way of life.

The Western Center for Integrated Resource Management in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University, along with the National Western Stock Show Scholarship Trust Fund, will host the 14th annual Nick Petry Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 6 at the National Western Stock Show Complex. The NWSS Complex is located at 4655 Humboldt St., Denver, Colo.

The workshop will continue the tradition of offering the Colorado ranching community education on timely topics of importance, with this year’s theme “Antibiotic Use in Food Animals.”

Speakers include:
• Decision analysts Tony Cox and Doug Popken, who will give a statistical risk analysis presentation on several projects related to food animal production and human health risks.
• USDA-Agricultural Research Service Drs. Cyril Gay and Paula J. Fedorka-Cray, who will provide the USDA perspective on current and future research, an update on the forthcoming federal action plan and possible alternatives to antibiotic use in animal agriculture production.
• Michael Apley, DVM, from Kansas State University, who will address lessons learned, and not learned, from over 70 years of antibiotic use. Apley will talk about how we think bacteria and antibiotics interact and resistance challenges in treating diseases in food animals.
• Randall Singer, DVM, from the University of Minnesota, a specialist in infectious disease epidemiology. He will discuss the ways in which various selection pressures influence the dissemination and persistence of antimicrobial resistance genes.

“The Nick Petry Workshop was initiated to honor the past NWSS president who was passionate about agriculture,” said Kraig Peel, director of CSU’s Western Center for Integrated Resource Management. “The workshop strives to present cutting edge and timely research that impacts animal agriculture. There have been a significant number of news articles dealing with antibiotic use in farm animals and potential impacts on human health. The experts slated to present will provide scientific data that will allow workshop attendees to make informed decisions regarding animal health.”

Registration for the event includes lunch and is free, but reservations are required for the lunch provided by the NWSS. RSVP online via www.wcirm.colostate.edu – under “Quick Links” or by calling (970) 491-6222 and indicating you’d like to register for The Nick Petry Workshop.

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