News & Reports ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
Ability to use antibiotics preventively must be maintained, says BVA REDUCING the ability of veterinary surgeons to use antibiotics to prevent infections in animals could have a detrimental impact on animal health and welfare, the BVA has warned. While welcoming the recent report on antibiotic resistance by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee (VR, July 12, 2014, vol 175, p 30), the Association said it had grave concerns about a recommendation in the report that the Government should take action to ensure that antibiotics were only used therapeutically in farm animals. Robin Hargreaves, the BVA President, said that there was much to be welcomed in
56 | Veterinary Record | July 19, 2014
the report, including its focus on increasing the public understanding of antibiotic use, stepping up measures to improve the stewardship of antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine, and on developing new antibiotics and better diagnostic tools. However, he continued: ‘It is critically important that we understand the reasons for preventive use of antibiotics by vets alongside more thorough research into the likelihood of the transmission of antimicrobial resistance from animal to human pathogens. ‘BVA strongly argues that in veterinary medicine the preventive treatment of animals that are at risk but not necessarily
symptomatic must be maintained. Reducing the ability of veterinary surgeons to prophylactically treat animals in a timely and appropriate fashion could have a detrimental impact on animal health and welfare.’ He said that there was a need to trust the professionalism of vets ‘on the ground and in the field’ to make a judgement about the right use of antimicrobials. Otherwise, there was a risk of situations arising in which vets would be unable to administer an antimicrobial to an injured animal to prevent infection, or to the pen mates of sick animals on a farm that were also likely to be infected. doi: 10.1136/vr.g4635
Copyright of Veterinary Record: Journal of the British Veterinary Association is the property of BMJ Publishing Group and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
Ability to use antibiotics preventively must be maintained, says BVA REDUCING the ability of veterinary surgeons to use antibiotics to prevent infections in animals could have a detrimental impact on animal health and welfare, the BVA has warned. While welcoming the recent report on antibiotic resistance by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee (VR, July 12, 2014, vol 175, p 30), the Association said it had grave concerns about a recommendation in the report that the Government should take action to ensure that antibiotics were only used therapeutically in farm animals. Robin Hargreaves, the BVA President, said that there was much to be welcomed in
56 | Veterinary Record | July 19, 2014
the report, including its focus on increasing the public understanding of antibiotic use, stepping up measures to improve the stewardship of antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine, and on developing new antibiotics and better diagnostic tools. However, he continued: ‘It is critically important that we understand the reasons for preventive use of antibiotics by vets alongside more thorough research into the likelihood of the transmission of antimicrobial resistance from animal to human pathogens. ‘BVA strongly argues that in veterinary medicine the preventive treatment of animals that are at risk but not necessarily
symptomatic must be maintained. Reducing the ability of veterinary surgeons to prophylactically treat animals in a timely and appropriate fashion could have a detrimental impact on animal health and welfare.’ He said that there was a need to trust the professionalism of vets ‘on the ground and in the field’ to make a judgement about the right use of antimicrobials. Otherwise, there was a risk of situations arising in which vets would be unable to administer an antimicrobial to an injured animal to prevent infection, or to the pen mates of sick animals on a farm that were also likely to be infected. doi: 10.1136/vr.g4635
Copyright of Veterinary Record: Journal of the British Veterinary Association is the property of BMJ Publishing Group and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
