Sanderson Farms said that it plans to continue using antibiotics on its birds, partly because there is no alternative for treating a common gut disease. Enteritis can be deadly if not treated properly, Reuters reports.
Two of the biggest makers of animal drugs have told Sanderson Farms that developing products to treat the gut disease necrotic enteritis is not profitable enough to justify the effort, said CEO Joe Sanderson. Enteritis is treated with antibiotics including virginiamycin and bacitracin.