ABSTRACT
Both beneficial and potentially harmful bacteria can normally be found in the digestive tract of swine. Some examples of harmful bacteria are Salmonella, E. coli and Clostridium perfringens. Not only can these bacteria produce specific diseases known to be detrimental to the host but through competition for essential nutrients, they can also reduce animal performance. In contrast to the effects of these disease causing micro-organisms, bacteria such as Lactobacillus and the vitamin B-complex producing bacteria can actually be beneficial to the host. By encouraging the proliferation of these bacteria in the intestinal tract, it may be possible to improve animal performance.
