November 9, 2017

In a new recommendation issued by the World Health Organisation on Tuesday, Nov. 7, farmers and the food industry are urged to stop using antibiotics routinely to promote growth and prevent disease in healthy animals.

The recommendation aims to help preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics that are important for human medicine by reducing their unnecessary use in animals. In some countries, around 80% of total consumption of medically important antibiotics is in the animal sector, largely for growth promotion in healthy animals.

The overuse and misuse of antibiotics in animals and humans have contributed 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.

"A lack of effective antibiotics is as serious a security threat as a sudden and deadly disease outbreak", said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. "Strong, sustained action across all sectors is vital if we are to turn back the tide of antimicrobial resistance and keep the world safe."

WHO also strongly recommends 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.

"Healthy animals should only receive antibiotics to prevent disease if it has been diagnosed in other animals in the same flock, herd or fish population", WHO said in a news release.

WHO noted that many countries have already taken action to reduce the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals, including the EU 28-member bloc which, since 2006 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", WHO said.

WHO said alternative options to using antibiotics for disease prevention in animals include improving hygiene, better use of vaccination, and changes in animal housing and husbandry practices.-Rick Alberto