Ending Non-Judicious Use of Antibiotics in Agriculture

Infectious diseases physicians, public health experts and others are greatly concerned about non-judicious uses of antibiotics in agriculture and particularly in food animals. The relationship between antibiotic-resistant infections in humans and antibiotic use in agriculture is complex, but well-documented. A large and compelling body of scientific evidence demonstrates that antibiotic use in agriculture contributes to the emergence of resistant bacteria and their spread to humans. IDSA is working to eliminate inappropriate uses of antibiotics in food animals and other aspects of agriculture and aquaculture. This includes ending the use of antibiotics for growth promotion, feed efficiency, and routine disease prevention purposes in food animals; requiring prescriptions and veterinary oversight of all antibiotics given to animals; and ensuring that antibiotic use in all animals, similar to human medicine, is carried out under the supervision of a veterinarian.

Contact your Congressional representative through our Advocacy Center to express your concern about inappropriate antibiotic use in agriculture.

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Antibiotics and Agriculture: A Primer from The Pew Charitable Trusts

Antibiotic Resistance and Food Safety (CDC)

Keep Antibiotics Working Coalition

IDSA Policy Paper: Combating Antimicrobial Resistance: Policy Recommendations to Save Lives (PDF)

4/11/2011

IDSA issued a comprehensive set of recommendations in a policy paper published in a special supplement of Clinical Infectious Diseases. For specific references to eliminating non-judicious antibiotic use in animals, plants and marine environments, see pp. S420-S421.

IDSA Testimony on Antibiotic Resistance and Use of Antibiotics in Animal Agriculture (PDF)

7/14/2010

IDSA President James Johnson, MD, FIDSA, presented IDSA's statement on antibiotic resistance and use of antibiotics in animal agriculture at a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health.

Summary of IDSA Policy on the Use of Antimicrobial Drugs in Food Animals (PDF)

11/1/2009

A one-page summary of IDSA's position on the use of antimicrobial drugs in food animals.

IDSA Supports the Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act of 2015 (PDF)

3/2/2015

IDSA expressed support for the Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act of 2015 (PARA). The bill focuses on antibiotic use in food-producing animals and is the logical next step after recent FDA guidance, which set forth voluntary drug label changes to remove "growth promotion" as an indication for antibiotic use. The legislation would require animal drug companies to show FDA that the "prevention" indications of their drugs are in fact appropriate.

IDSA Joins 34 Other Organizations Calling for Enhanced Collection and Reporting of Antibiotic Use on the Farm (PDF)

2/25/2013

In a letter to Senate leadership, IDSA and other groups call for legislation to enhance the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) authority to collect and report data on antibiotic use in food-producing animals to better measure the impact of these practices on antimicrobial resistance.

IDSA Comments to PACCARB (PDF)

3/21/2016

IDSA presented comments at a public meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB). IDSA applauded the PACCARB for its work so far on the five goals of the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, and highlighted specific recommendations to advance each of the goals in the National Action Plan.

IDSA Comments to PACCARB on Antibiotic Resistance Data Collection (PDF)

1/4/2016

IDSA comments to the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria on challenges faced in gathering and sharing antibiotic resistance data.

IDSA Comments to FDA USDA CDC Re On-Farm Antimicrobial Use and Resistance Data (PDF)

11/30/2015

In September, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) held a public meeting to discuss strategies for improving antimicrobial use data collection in food-animal production. IDSA submitted a comment letter in connection with the meeting outlining the Society’s concerns with the current limitations facing data collection on the farm, where antibiotics are used the most often and in the largest quantities.

IDSA Supports FDA Proposed Rule to Collect Food-Animal Antibiotic Sales Data by Species (PDF)

8/18/2015

In a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), IDSA supported a proposed rule that would revise the FDA's annual reporting requirements for drug sponsors of all antimicrobials sold or distributed for use in food-producing animals in order to obtain estimates of sales by major food-producing species (cattle, swine, chickens, and turkeys). IDSA has long supported this improvement.

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