Legislation would limit non-therapeutic antibiotic use

By CAROL RYAN DUMAS

Capital Press

Legislation introduced in both the House and Senate in 2009 to ban the use of some animal antibiotics has producer groups standing up in opposition.

They contend there is no scientific evidence that use of antibiotics leads to antibiotic-resistant bacteria that affect humans, as the legislation's sponsors claim.

Senate Bill 619 and House Bill 1549 both seek to eliminate non-therapeutic use of antibiotics considered important for human health. While the bills never made it to the floor, the effort is expected to continue in 2010. Supporters of those bills believe that the overuse of antibiotics in animals could lead to human illnesses that are resistant to antibiotics.

Colin Woodall, vice president of government affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, said a ban on classes of antibiotics used in the prevention of diseases would be a mistake.

"It's keeping animals healthy, and we know healthy animals means healthy food," he said.

Woodall said the argument to ban antibiotics is based on the misperception that they are overused and ignores numerous science-based risk assessments of the practice.

Animal antibiotics go through a more stringent process of approval than human drugs, he said. Livestock groups, industry and the American Veterinary Medical Association have long endorsed judicious use of those products.

He said USDA tests food products from animal agriculture for antibiotic residue and rejects any that violate FDA standards.

Dave Roper, a Kimberly, Idaho hog producer, said the consequences of misuse are severe.

"They test every batch of pigs," he said. If residue is found, "all animals are quarantined and rejected. You're shut down and they monitor you for a year."

The effort to ban antibiotic use in animals is led by activists who want to shut down all animal agriculture, he said.

The Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America is working on an antibiotics-use policy with the American Academy of Veterinary Consultants, said Max Thornberry, a veterinarian and president of R-CALF.

"Therapeutic use of antibiotics is a necessity in modern livestock production, and it is humane to save the life of livestock," he said.

He thinks the membership will approve cessation of sub-therapeutic antibiotics in feed.

In a letter to the Obama administration in August, a coalition of food producers, including the NCBA and the National Pork Producers Council, said judicious use of animal antibiotics enhances animal welfare and food safety without contributing to antibiotic resistance.

Bans on antibiotic use in feed in Europe have led to "a significant increase in animal diseases -- many not seen in Europe for 20 years -- and an increase in the use of antibiotics by veterinarians to treat those diseases," the letter stated.

Animal antibiotics background

FDA has four approved uses for antibiotics:

* Treatment after animals are clinically ill.

* Control to reduce a specific disease after the animal has been exposed to an infectious agent.

* Prevention administered before or dafter exposure to an infectious agent.

* Nutritional efficiency in feed at to allow the animal to more efficiently utilize the feed and avoid illness.

Source: American Veterinary Medical Association and National Pork Producers Council