antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Sales of antibiotics for livestock use rise, but not as fast
Drugmakers reported the sale or distribution of 15.4 million kg of antibiotics for use in cattle, hogs and poultry last year, up 4 percent from 2013, said the FDA in an annual report. The increase was slightly smaller than average and the sale of medically important antibiotics rose 3 percent.
Bacteria developing resistance to a last-ditch antibiotic
Researchers say they identified a new form of resistance "to the very last-ditch drug colistin," reports National Geographic. "[I]t is present in both meat animals and people, probably comes from agricultural use of that drug, can move easily among bacteria, and may already be spreading across borders."
Feds outline how to track antibiotic use on farms
FDA and USDA officials sketched an multi-pronged approach to track antibiotic use on cattle, hog, chicken and turkey farms but acknowledged during a public meeting that they don't have the funding to pay for what could be a labor- and time-intensive undertaking.
Getting down to the nitty-gritty on antibiotics in livestock
Officials from the FDA, USDA and CDC will hear public comments on Wednesday on a proposal to collect, for the first time, data on how many pounds of antimicrobials are consumed by each of the major species of food animals - cattle, hogs and poultry.
U.S. to give preference for meat raised with fewer antibiotics
President Obama directed the government to support "the emerging market for meat that has been produced according to responsible antibiotic-use policies" by serving the meat in federal cafeterias and, by 2020, giving routine preference to vendors selling the meat.
White House releases five-year plan on antibiotics
The Obama administration released a five-year "national action plan" to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In a blog, the secretaries of Health, Agriculture and Defense say it is "a whole-of-government approach" built around slowing the spread of resistant bacteria; better surveillance to detect resistant bacteria; development of rapid tests to guide treatment of infections; more research into new antibiotics and alternative treatments; and expanded international health work.
Medically important antibiotics – bulk of sales for livestock
Some 14.8 billion kilograms of antibiotics were sold or distributed for use in food animals in 2013 and six of every 10 kg were classified as medically important antimicrobials, said the FDA. The government aims to reduce that ratio to maintain the efficacy of antibiotics to treat human illness. The agency launched a three-year drive in 2014 to end the use of antibiotics as a growth promotant. "This summary report reflects sales and distribution information from the year prior" to the campaign, the FDA said.
Obama seeks $1.2 billion to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria
"The Obama administration wants to double the amount of federal funding dedicated to combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria," says the Washington Post, based on comments from White House officials in advance of the fiscal 2016 budget request.
Wind carries antibiotics and bacteria from feedlots
Researchers at Texas Tech "found evidence of antibiotics, feedlot-derived bacteria and DNA sequences that encode for antibiotic resistance" in air samples taken near cattle feedlots in the southern High Plains, says Feedstuffs.
Many livestock antibiotics will soon need vet approval
A large number of the medically important antibiotics given to cattle, hogs and poultry now sold over the counter to livestock producers will come under veterinary control in the next couple of years, says the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
CSPI petitions to classify salmonella as meat adulterant
The consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest re-filed a petition that calls for USDA to classify four strains of antibiotic-resistant salmonella bacteria as a food adulterant.
White House steps up action on antibiotic-resistant bacteria
President Obama directed the government to combat the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with the Agriculture Department taking a major role. The executive order signed by Obama also told FDA to eliminate agricultural use of medically important antibiotics as growth-promoting agent. The agency started work on that point in December with drugmakers given three years to make the transition. Agriculture is commonly believed to buy 80 percent of antibiotics annually.
Poultry firms use more antibiotics in feed than thought
After examining feed tickets for five major poultry companies, Reuters says U.S. poultry producers "are administering antibiotics to their flocks far more pervasively than regulators realize, posing a potential risk to human health." The FDA launched an initiative last year to end the practice of mixing small amount of antibiotics into livestock rations to encourage food animals to gain weight.
Hog-farm workers carry drug-resistant bacteria
A small-scale study in North Carolina "suggests that nearly half of workers who care for animals in large industrial hog farming operations may be carrying home livestock-associated bacteria in their noses, and that this potentially harmful bacteria remains with them up to four days after exposure," says Johns Hopkins University.
Netherlands cuts deeply the use of antibiotics in livestock
Gerbert Oosterlaken, a Dutch hog farmer, says in a Modern Farmer story, “I don’t need to take antibiotics every day. There’s no reason my pigs should either.”
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in squid
For the first time, antibiotic-resistant bacteria were found in food - raw squid - "widening the potential exposure for consumers," said the Washington Post, based on a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Antibiotic-resistant genes are everywhere, it seems
Researchers say they found antibiotic-resistant genes in all 71 areas they checked around the world. The results "add to evidence showing just how common and abundant those resistance genes really are in natural environments," says Cell Press.