SuperbugsU.S. pigs consume nearly as many antibiotics as people do
A new report is taking the U.S. pork industry to task for irresponsible use of medically important antibiotics, saying the amount of antibiotics used in pigs is nearly the same as that used to treat humans. The report estimates that 27.1 percent of all medically important antibiotics sold in the United States are for pig production, while a roughly equivalent amount—27.6 percent—is sold for use in human medicine. The report argues that the heavy use of antibiotics in pig and other livestock production is contributing to the rise and spread of antibiotic resistance in both animals and people.
A report today from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is taking the U.S. pork industry to task for irresponsible use of medically important antibiotics, saying the amount of antibiotics used in pigs is nearly the same as that used to treat humans.
The report estimates that 27.1 percent of all medically important antibiotics sold in the United States are for pig production, while a roughly equivalent amount—27.6 percent—is sold for use in human medicine. The report suggests that the heavy use of antibiotics in pigs is primarily for disease prevention, a practice the NRDC says is unnecessary. The group argues that the heavy use of antibiotics in pig and other livestock production is contributing to the rise and spread of antibiotic resistance in both animals and people.
Report author David Wallinga, a senior health officer with NRDC, told CIDRAP News that the findings are “startling and important for anybody that cares about continued effectiveness of these drugs for treating sick people.”
The NRDC is calling for the pork industry to adopt responsible antibiotic use practices and for pig producers to use antibiotics only for pigs that have been diagnosed with a bacterial infection, to control disease outbreaks among pigs that come in contact with sick animals, and or for routine medical procedures like surgery.
“Medically important antibiotics should not be used routinely when animals are not sick,” the report concludes.
Seven times the rate in Denmark, Netherlands
CIDRAP reports that the estimates of antibiotic use in pig production are based on the most recent antibiotic sales data from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA’s 2016 report on antibiotics sold for use in food-producing animals showed that 6.9 million pounds of medically important antibiotics were sold for use in pigs. The NRDC then compared that number with data from the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy, which estimates that 7 million pounds of medically important antibiotics were sold for human use in the United States in 2015.
Overall, more than 25 million pounds of medically important antibiotics were sold for any purpose in the United States in 2016. The FDA estimates that food-animal production accounts for roughly 70 percent of all medically important antibiotic sales in the United States.
