The UK poultry industry is facing fresh scrutiny after it emerged producers have increased the use of an antibiotic banned in the US due to links with drug-resistant forms of campylobacter.
Poultry has been held up as the most progressive UK livestock sector on antibiotics, with a report from the UK’s Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) at the end of last year noting a 30% reduction in overall antibiotic use by British Poultry Council members between 2013 and 2014.
However, a breakdown of the data by antibiotic family obtained by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism through a Freedom of Information request revealed the use of fluoroquinolones actually increased by 59% - from 710 kg in 2013 to 1,126 kg in 2014.
The drugs are banned for poultry in the US because their veterinary use is thought to be a major factor behind emerging resistance to antibiotics in human campylobacter infections.
A recent study by the Royal Liverpool University Hospital found nearly 50% of campylobacter cases were resistant to fluoroquinolones, which are important for treating the bug.
The Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics called on the UK government to follow the lead of the US by banning use in poultry production, as well as taking “urgent action” to reduce farm-use of other important antibiotics.
“Scientists have been warning for twenty-five years that the medical use of fluoroquinolones was being undermined by their use in poultry, but these shocking new figures show that all these warnings have been to no avail.” said Emma Rose of the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics.
“Policy-makers are gathering in a few weeks in Brussels to vote on a proposal to ban routine, preventative mass medication of groups of animals in the EU. In the light of these findings, it is crucial that the UK Government support such a ban.”
A BPC spokeswoman stressed the poultry sector remained committed to reducing the use of all antibiotics, particularly those deemed critical for human health.
“The BPC and its members recognise the importance of fluroquinolones for human medicine, and we will continue to work with our members to significantly reduce the usage of all classes of antibiotics including the fluroquinolones,” she said.
She stressed the poultry industry was totally transparent on antibiotic use, and was the only livestock sector to share actual usage data with authorities.
“We are currently collating the usage data for 2015, and this will be completed shortly,” she said.
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