 |
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
|
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
David B. Wallinga, MD, MPA, Food and Health Program, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, 2105 First Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55404, 612-870-3418, dwallinga@iatp.org
By recent estimates, 70 percent of all antibiotic use in the U.S. occurs as an additive to livestock feed or water, at lower than therapeutic levels. An abundant body of science now links this use of antibiotics to increasing numbers of drug-resistant infections in humans. Recent studies suggest that a significant percentage of ground meat and poultry in the U.S. probably carry foodborne pathogens resistant to one or more antibiotics. The European Union acted in 1998 to phase-out the use of four medically important antibiotics in animal feeds. Other European countries banned growth promoter antibiotics in animal feeds altogether as early as 1986. The U.S. government, in contrast, has done comparatively little to date to limit such use. Numerous medical and public health organizations now urge a ban on the use of medically-important antibiotics in animal feed at lower than therapeutic levels, including (though not limited to) the American Medical Association, the American Public Health Association, and the World Health Health Organization. This presentation summarizes public health concerns about antibiotic overuse in agriculture, as well as ongoing efforts in the public and non-profit sectors to limit that use.
Learning Objectives: Learning Objectives
Keywords: Food Safety, Antibiotic Resistance
Related Web page: www.KeepAntibioticsWorking.com
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.