Drug Safety Alerts
Reduce the Use of Antibiotics in Food-Producing Animals to Prevent the Spread of Antibiotic Resistance
Antibiotics medicines are used to prevent and treat bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in response to the use of these medicines. Antibiotic resistance leads to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays, and increased mortality.
According to WHO the farmers and the food industry should stop using antibiotics regularly to promote growth and prevent disease in healthy animals. In some countries, approximately 80% of total consumption of medically important antibiotics is in the animal sector, largely for growth promotion in food-producing animals.
WHO guidelines on use of medically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals. Over-use and misuse of antibiotics in animals and humans is contributing to the rising threat of antibiotic resistance. Some types of bacteria that cause serious infections in humans have already developed resistance to most or all of the available treatments. An overall reduction in the use of all classes of medically important antibiotics in food-producing animals, including complete restriction of these antibiotics for growth promotion and disease prevention without diagnosis. Food-producing animals should only receive antibiotics to prevent disease if it has been diagnosed in other animals in the same flock, herd, or fish population.
Many countries have already taken action to reduce the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals. For example, since 2006, the European Union has banned the use of antibiotics for growth promotion. Consumers are also driving the demand for meat raised without routine use of antibiotics, with some major food chains adopting “antibiotic-free” policies for their meat supplies. Alternative options to using antibiotics for disease prevention in food-producing animals include improving hygiene, better use of vaccination, and changes in animal housing and husbandry practices.
Primary & Secondary Healthcare Department,
Govt. of the Punjab