Antimicrobial resistance remains a huge problem throughout the world, and while there is little evidence of reduced use of antibiotics in the beef and sheep sectors, the pig, poultry and to a lesser extent the dairy industries have made huge strides.

British pig farmers reduced their use of antimicrobial drug colistin by 70% last year according to the animal health lobby group RUMA (Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture), with the use of prescribed antibiotics in young feed also halving during the same time.

The industry hopes to see further reduction in the use of antibiotics too with the use of bacteriophages – a range of viruses that can kill disease-causing bacteria – as an alternative to antibiotics to treat common infections in livestock.

Research from the University of Leicester has shown that phage could accompany or replace the use of antibiotics across all livestock sectors, thought the initial research project looked at treatment in pigs.

"There are many infections that we just can't treat with antibiotics because they have become resistant to them. So using the phage therapy for specific diseases could change the way we treat infection,” said Professor Martha Clokie.

“Antibiotics wipe out all the bacteria – both good and bad,” she said. “So if you a treat a pig for one thing, you cause an imbalance in the pig’s useful bacteria. Phages can target one, making them a more effective treatment.”

She added that early results indicated that phage therapy could be "completely transformative for human health," and that if trials in pigs work, the new therapy could be extended to treat people.

During the study, researchers isolated 20 bacteriophages that combated 72 multi-antibiotic resistant strains of the most important causes of gut problems in pigs. The scientists were able to dry out the phages to form a powder which could be given to animals in feed.

The study, found that phages are much more specific than antibiotics and are used outside of the West to treat a whole range of bacterial infections, many of which do not respond to conventional antibiotics.

The poultry sector has also been pro-active having witnessed a massive 71% reduction in the use of antibiotics between 2012 and 2016. It also abandoned the use of prophylactic and Colistin in antibiotics, last year too.

The British Poultry Council (BPC) which represents 90% of UK poultry meat production, has also signed up to a new antibiotic stands for Red Tractor Poultry Assurance which come into force in October this year.

"Our Antibiotic Stewardship continuously reviews on-farm management practices to ensure sustainable use of antibiotics throughout out supply chain," said John Reed chairman of BPC who also praised the achievements already made in the industry.

"We have taken on board the challenge to reduce our reliance on antibiotics and are the only livestock sector currently collating and publishing data, but, data is not enough alone. We are committed to clinical governance and knowing how and why we use antibiotics. Livestock like people get ill and we need antiobiotics to preserve their health.

"Farmers and veterinarians need antibiotics in their toolbox to treat sick birds so zero use is not an option," Mr Reed said adding that the industry aims to safeguard the efficacy of antibiotics as part of sustainable food production and to protect the health and welfare of their birds.