The increasing resistance of  community and hospital acquired bacterial strains has become a challenge to the current health policy in Poland. Although some bacteria are known to have a peculiar resistance towards a given agent, antibiotics have a well-established position in clinical practice and are broadly available in our lives. The universal access to antimicrobial therapy and its overuse have created an issue of previously susceptible bacteria now presenting antibiotic resistance. All bacteria that survive antibiotic treatment, continue growth and reproduction. This phenomenon is also observed in livestock rearing. An inadequate implementation of antibiotic therapy leads to the transfer of resistant bacterial strains into the environment of people, who eat products of animal and plant origin. Moreover, the non-compliance to law in terms of antibiotics added to animal fodder or negilgence of withdrawal periods seems to further exacerbate the situation. Various research projects conducted in Poland and elsewhere have demonstrated that antibiotics produce an immunosuppressive effect, which exposes both humans and animals to different infections. Antibiotics also interfere with the growth of many microorganisms, recognized as part of the human and animal physiological microflora, as a result of which dysbacteriosis may develop. In order to limit the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry, research should be focus on finding alternative agents based on plant extracts that undergo biodegradation.

20(4)2015