By TIM HEARDEN

Capital Press

Livestock industry representatives say new federal restrictions on uses of cephalosporin antibiotics won't have a large impact on operations, but they fear additional restrictions on antibiotic use in the future.

In a rule set to take effect April 5, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is barring certain "off-label" uses of cephalosporins, a class of antibiotics used in both animals and humans. The restrictions aim to protect people from being exposed to the antibiotics in meats.

Included in the ban is use of the drugs at unapproved dose levels, frequencies, durations or routes of administration, use of drugs in cattle, swine, chickens or turkeys that hadn't been approved specifically for that species, or using the drugs for disease prevention.

The order doesn't limit the use of cephapirin, an older cephalosporin drug that is not believed by the FDA to contribute significantly to antimicrobial resistance, according to an agency news release. Veterinarians will be allowed to prescribe "limited extra-label" use of the drugs in livestock as long as they follow the general directions on the label.

Veterinarians and other experts say the rule will likely have little affect on livestock producers, whose use of cephalosporins is mainly therapeutic. However, Bishop, Calif., veterinarian and cattle producer Tom Talbot worries that this may be just one of many restrictions yet to come.

"This whole issue of antibiotic use in livestock primarily as it relates to resistance in humans is a very, very complex issue," said Talbot, a former president of the California Cattlemen's Association. "One of the things that concerns me is when decisions are made as a result of public pressure and not necessarily sound science."

Thomas Besser, a professor of veterinary microbiology at Washington State University, said he's received many calls from people in the beef industry about the new rule, for which a two-month public comment period was set to begin Jan. 6.

"I know it's going to make people sit up and take notice," Besser said. "It's not clear to me that it will have a big impact. If a veterinarian felt like he needed to treat something, it sounds like there's enough leeway to let them do it."

The FDA asserts that cephalosporins are commonly used in humans to treat pneumonia as well as skin and soft tissue infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, diabetic foot infections and urinary tract infections.

The rule's issuance rekindles an ongoing debate over the use of antibiotics in livestock. U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., and others have fought to phase out the nontherapeutic use of certain classes of antibiotics in farm animals, arguing a high prevalence of drugs in meat increases human antibiotic resistance.

Livestock industry representatives counter that their use of the drugs to combat diseases and promote growth efficiency is already regulated by the FDA. They also point to humans' overuse of antibiotics, which researchers say caused 65,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2008.

"The idea that we're using this enormous quantity of antibiotics in beef cattle prior to slaughter, I think that's a misconception," Talbot said. "Many consumers hear ... that beef is loaded with antibiotics, and that's not true at all."

The FDA issued a similar but more restrictive order in 2008 but revoked it before it was implemented. In 2010, a "draft guidance" from the agency argued the use of antibiotics to enhance growth or feed efficiency in animals is "injudicious" and contributes to increasing human resistance to antibiotics.

Public health groups called the restrictions unveiled Jan. 4 a good first step.

"It's something that we've been looking for and trying to get done because we believe antibiotic use in animals has an effect on resistance in people," said Dr. Stuart Levy, an author and nationally recognized expert on antibiotic resistance at Tufts University in Boston.

"I think this will help the situation and decrease the chance of resistance in humans," he told the Capital Press.

Livestock and poultry groups issued statements Jan. 4 questioning the science behind the restrictions and reiterating that their products are safe. When antibiotics are used in chicken production, strict withdrawal periods must be followed before the birds are processed as food, said Tom Super, the National Chicken Council's vice president of communications.

In the pork industry, cephalosporins are used for treating sick animals but never for growth in pigs, said Liz Wagstrom, the National Pork Producers Council's chief veterinarian.

"We're very pleased that they considered the need to protect animal health in this decision," Wagstrom said. "With the restrictions that were put in place, veterinarians and producers will still be able to work together to utilize this class of drugs.

"It will have an impact, but it's something we're going to be able to work with," she said.

To comment

The new rule's comment period opens Jan. 6 and closes March 6. To comment, visit www.regulations.gov and enter FDA-2008-N-0326 in the keyword box.