July 1, 2014             
 

Australia's chicken federation clarifies use of fluoroquinolone in poultry
 

This follows a report by researchers at the Australian National University that they have found some fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli on chicken meat.

The E. coli resistant to fluoroquinolones observed in the study is definitely not the result of the use of fluoroquinolone in the poultry industry, according to the Australian Chicken Meat Federation. Fluoroquinolones are not and never have been approved for use in chickens in Australia.

The resistant E. coli were most likely acquired as a result of an environmental or human contamination during chicken production, processing or delivery and distribution. The rate of fluoroquinolone resistant E. coli found is consistent with environmental contamination, and roughly equivalent to the rate of fluoroquinolone resistance that would be seen in the human population in Australia.

Fluoroquinolones are critically important antibiotics in human medicine.

Unlike many other countries, Australia has a very conservative approach to the use of antibiotics in livestock. Consequently, antibiotics of last resort in human medicine are not allowed for use in livestock.

The poultry industry is strongly supportive of this prudent approach and actively promotes the judicious use of antibiotics to ensure minimal likelihood that resistance develops while ensuring the birds' health and welfare are taken care of appropriately.

Dr. Stephen Page, an expert on antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance in the veterinary field, explained, "There is no clinical need for fluoroquinolones in Australian chicken production. Most infectious disease is prevented by high standards of bird husbandry, nutrition, hygiene, vaccination and biosecurity. When bacterial disease does appear there is no need for the use of fluoroquinolones as the bacteria causing disease are generally sensitive to much less important antibacterial agents."