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GAO
Report Recommends Data Collection on Animal Antimicrobial Use The US General Accounting Office (GAO) today released a new report recommending that USDA, FDA and CDC develop and implement a plan to collect data on antibiotic use in animals. The study, ”Antibiotic Resistance: Federal Agencies Need to Better Focus Efforts to Address Risk to Humans from Antibiotic Use in Animals” (GAO-04-490), also recommends expedited risk assessment for animal antimicrobial drugs deemed critical in human medicine. GAO found that researchers disagree about the extent of the harm to human health from transfer of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria from animals to humans. The findings of this important study serve to underscore the importance of APUA’s FAAIR II Project, the purpose of which is to foster discussion among a diverse group of expert stakeholders regarding the most effective means for gathering data on animal antimicrobial use in the United States. A comprehensive report of the FAAIR II Project will be released this summer. Read the GAO report and highlights. Read press releases about the report from Keep Antibiotics Working and Animal Health Institute.
Judge
Rules in Baytril Hearings An administrative law judge today ruled
in favor of FDA s proposal to withdraw approval for use of the
fluoroquinolone antimicrobial Baytril in poultry due to concerns
about increasing resistance in human Campylobacter infections.
Closely related to Cipro, Baytril was approved by FDA in 1995
and is currently marketed by Bayer Corporation. Abbot Labs, which
formerly manufactured a similar drug, voluntarily withdrew its
product in compliance with FDA s initial request in 2000. Bayer
is likely to appeal the decision to the FDA Commissioner s office,
during which time the drug will remain on the market. Fluoroquinolone
drug products are still approved for therapeutic use in cattle,
horses, cats and dogs. APUA is pleased to report that the APUA
"FAAIR
Report" was entered as evidence in the proceedings by CVM.
Read CVM update
(with link to the Judge s decision).
For more on the history of the poultry-fluoroquinolone
debate, see CVM s excellent and informative website
on the issue.
Ecology
Program Staff Invited to Attend FAO/OIE/WHO Expert Workshop The first Joint FAO/OIE/WHO Expert Workshop
on Non-human Antimicrobial Usage and Antimicrobial Resistance
was held at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Dr. Stephen
DeVincent, APUA Ecology Program Director, was among the invited
participants. The Workshop s purpose was to discuss scientific
evidence in order to develop consensus on health aspects of antimicrobial
use in veterinary medicine and food animal production. A second
joint workshop has been planned for March 2004.
Read final
report and background documents.
FDA
Releases Final Guidance on Microbial Risk Assessment for Antimicrobial
Animal Drugs FDA today released the Final Guidance
for Industry (GFI) #152 ("Evaluating the Safety of Antimicrobial
New Animal Drugs with Regard to their Microbiological Effects
on Bacteria of Human Health Concern"). The document outlines a
qualitative approach to risk assessment with respect to antimicrobial
resistance intended to guide decision-making on New Animal Drug
Application approvals.
Read Final
Guidance #152. McDonald
s and Danish Veterinary Institute Honored at 2003 APUA Annual
Leadership Award Reception APUA honored McDonald s Corporation and
scientists at the Danish Veterinary Institute with its Annual
Leadership Award in recognition of their efforts to improve antimicrobial
use in food animal production.
Read press
release.
WHO
Releases Expert Report Evaluating Antimicrobial Growth Promoter
Ban in Denmark In November 2002, the World Health Organization
convened an independent, multidisciplinary, international expert
panel to review the potential consequences to human health, animal
health and welfare, environmental impact, animal production, and
national economy resulting from Denmark's 1998 ban on antimicrobial
growth promoters in food animal production. The Report released
today concludes that the Danish experience suggests that antimicrobial
growth promoters can be withdrawn without significant expense
or health consequences to farm animals.
Read WHO
Report.
Preservation
of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2003 (S. 1460) Introduced
in Senate Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) today introduced
the bipartisan Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment
Act of 2003 (S. 1460). The proposed legislation would withdraw
approval for the nontherapeutic use in animals of any drug
in the same class as a critical antimicrobial animal drug (defined
to include all penicillins, tetracyclines, bacitracins, macrolides,
lincomycins, streptogramins, aminoglycosides, sulfonamides, and
any other drug or derivative of a drug used or intended for therapeutic
or prophylactic use in humans) unless specifically exempted by
FDA. Co-sponsors include Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Daniel
K. Inouye (D-HI), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), John F. Reed (D-RI), and
Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME). A companion bill (H.R. 2932) was also
introduced in the house by Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
Read S. 1460.
Health
Canada Releases Expert Report on Use of Antimicrobials in Food
Animals An expert committee released the Final
Report of the Advisory Committee on Animal Uses of Antimicrobials
and Impact on Resistance and Human Health. Recommendations in
the report include increased restrictions on antimicrobial use
by Canadian farmers, import restrictions, and increased surveillance
of use and resistance.
Read the Health
Canada Expert Report.
McDonald
s Corporation Announces Global Policy on Antibiotic Use in Food
Animals McDonald s Corporation today announced
a new Global Policy that requires direct meat suppliers to phase
out use for animal growth promotion of antibiotics also used in
human medicine. Suppliers are also required to comply with a set
of Guiding Principles for Sustainable Use.
Read the McDonald
s Global Policy.
New
England Journal of Medicine Publishes Editorial on Antimicrobial
Use in Animals The latest issue of the New England Journal
of Medicine contains three articles related to antimicrobial use
and resistance in food animals. The articles are accompanied by
an editorial by Dr. Sherwood Gorbach, FAAIR Project Co-chair,
entitled Antimicrobial Use in Animal Feed-Time to Stop.
Click here
for abstracts and more information.
AMA
Recommends Restricting Antibiotic Use in Animals At its 2001 Annual Meeting, the policy-making
branch of the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted Resolution
508, which opposes the sub therapeutic uses of antimicrobials
in animal agriculture and calls for regulations to support this
stance.
Read the AMA
Resolution 508. APUA
FAAIR Report The comprehensive report of an expert
committee coordinated by APUA was published today as a Supplement
to Clinical Infectious Diseases. The report considers ecological
and human health consequences of antimicrobial use in food animal
production and plant agriculture.
See the FAAIR Project
page for more information.
Representative
Brown (D-OH) Introduces The Antibiotic Resistance Act of 2001 On May 9, Rep. Sherrod Brown, (D-OH) introduced
H.R. 1771, also known as the Antibiotic Resistance Act of 2001.
This bill seeks funding for the Department of Health and Human
Services (DHHS) to implement the priority items in the Federal
Government's Interagency Action Plan, adopted in January 2001.
Read proposed legislation.
US
Interagency Task Force Releases Public Health Action Plan to Combat
Antimicrobial Resistance The US Department of Health and Human
Services released its Interagency Action Plan for fighting antimicrobial
resistance. The Action Plan sets priorities and deadlines for
ten US agencies and departments in the following areas: 1) surveillance,
2) prevention and control, 3) research, and 4) product development.
These four areas contain 84 action items, including 13 priority
action steps considered essential to addressing antimicrobial
resistance. Of these 13 priorities, seven are already underway,
and six are planned to begin within the next one to two years.
Read Interagency
Task Force Plan.
World
Health Organization Consultation Held in Geneva, this groundbreaking Consultation
focused on the public and human health aspects of antimicrobial
use in animals intended for food while recognizing the ongoing
need for antimicrobial treatment of diseased animals. APUA was
one of 16 participating organizations. The primary product was
the WHO Global Principles for the Containment of Antimicrobial
Resistance in Animals Intended for Food.
Read the WHO Global
Principles.
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