White paper on antibiotics use in food animals

The National Institute for Animal Agriculture has issued a white paper on the use of antibiotics in food animals, based on a symposium the group held on the issue in October.

The paper acknowledges that resistance to antimicrobials continues to evolve and that it is imperative that antibiotics be used appropriately not only in animal agriculture but also in the human population.

The paper also states, “ Although activists often claim that antibiotics used in livestock and poultry are the cause of human antibiotic resistance, the attributable risk of human disease outcomes, e.g., additional illness days due to resistance, associated with the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals is unknown, and studies show it is extremely low.”

To read the white paper click here.