Nearly 200,000 letters were recently submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) responding to the agency’s request for comments on rules governing the use of antibiotics on industrial farms. These letters made it clear to the FDA that:
Already, 70% of all antibiotics sold in the U.S. are given to healthy food animals - leading to the growth of antibiotic resistant bacteria. FDA proposals could have made this problem worse.
Reflecting the view of leading scientific and health experts, the citizen comments express concern that the FDA guidance on non-judicious use of antibiotics in food animal production does not sufficiently curtail the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in animals that are not sick. Additionally, the FDA’s proposed revisions to the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) guidelines could weaken veterinary oversight and controls on antibiotic use on industrial farms – increasing the rate of antibiotic resistance in humans.
Thank you for telling the FDA to save antibiotics!
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) today introduced the Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act, a bipartisan bill that would eliminate certain antibiotic-related practices that contribute to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria and endanger human health. The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jack Reed (D-RI), Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA).
More infoThis bibliography lists the latest published scientific and economic literature concerning the contribution of routine antibiotic use in food animals to the growing public health crisis of human antibiotic resistance. Research on how antibiotic use in food animal production contributes to the growing health crisis of antibiotic resistance dates back more than 30 years.
More infoPew Charitable Trusts today applauded Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Susan Collins (R-ME), for introducing the Antimicrobial Data Collection Act, which would require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, to report more information on the annual sales of antibiotics used among industrial farm animals. The bipartisan bill would also give the agency a deadline to finalize policies proposed last year to eliminate the use of antibiotics for growth promotion purposes in meat production.
More info"As a nation, we need to exercise greater care with our use of antibiotics, in both humans and animals, so that these medications remain effective in treating serious bacterial infections."
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