The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, used to treat bacterial infections in poultry.
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Why it was banned
For the first time, the FDA has withdrawn approval for a drug that is used as an agricultural antibiotic because of concerns that it can lead to bacterial resistance in humans. Some physicians believe the practice encourages bacteria to adapt to the medications, and eventually to become immune to them. Some poultry producers say the antibiotic is an important tool to protect the health of their animals.
Poultry groups upset over ban
By JERRY PERKINS and TONY LEYS
REGISTER STAFF WRITERS
The decision this week by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections in poultry produced widely conflicting reactions Friday in Iowa.
A University of Iowa physician said the ban is long overdue because use of the drug on poultry can lead to resistance to bacteria in humans.
But representatives of turkey and chicken associations said the FDA's action removes a tool poultry producers have used to protect the health of their animals. The FDA's decision also is a dangerous precedent that could set the stage for the federal government banning the use of more animal medicines, association officials said.
The decision announced Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration is the first time the government agency has withdrawn approval for an agricultural antibiotic because of concerns that use of the drug on animals can jeopardize the health of humans because of bacterial resistance.
The ban affects fluoroquinolone antibiotics, including Baytril, a livestock antibiotic made by Bayer Corp. Baytril is in the same drug family as Cipro, which is an antibiotic drug used in humans.
The FDA's ruling does not cover the use of Cipro or other approved uses of the drug except for its use in poultry.
Many physicians have criticized the routine use of antibiotics in animal feed because, they say, the practice encourages bacteria to adapt to the medications and eventually to become immune to them.
When that happens, physicians say, antibiotics become useless against bacterial infections in people, and illnesses that were easy to treat can then become deadly.
Dr. Daniel Diekema, an infectious-disease specialist at the University of Iowa, said the government's ban on Baytril has been long needed.
He said studies have proven that using Baytril in chickens can endanger consumers who buy the meat. The consumers can be exposed to drug-resistant strains of campylobacter, a type of bacteria that commonly causes severe diarrhea, he said.
Bacteria that becomes resistant to Baytril also can become resistant to Cipro, Diekema said.
He hopes the government considers limiting routine use of other, similar drugs in livestock, too.
"The links might not be as clear with other antibiotics and with other animals, but we believe they exist," Diekema said.
Representatives of livestock production associations had a markedly different view of the FDA's decision this week. These officials said the ban of Baytril in poultry removes an important drug that farmers could turn to when trying to combat sickness in their animals.
Gretta Irwin, executive director of the Iowa Turkey Federation, estimated that fewer than 1 percent of turkeys raised in the United States are treated with fluoroquinolone antibiotics. However, Baytril is needed from time to time to treat some types of diseases in turkeys, she said.
"It's kind of like having a bottle of aspirin in your medicine cabinet," Irwin said. "You don't use it every day, but you want it there if you have a headache."
Iowa produces 8 million turkeys a year and ranks ninth among the states in turkey production. Iowa's turkey industry adds $144 million to the state's economy, Irwin said.
Kevin Vinchattle , executive director of the Iowa Poultry Association, said Baytril is used almost exclusively on chickens raised for meat. Most Iowa chickens are used for egg-laying, not for meat, so the FDA decision will have little effect on chicken farmers here, he said.
Dr. Elizabeth Krushinskie , a veterinarian with the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, worries that the ban could have a domino effect.
"This is a precedent-setting decision that could have an adverse impact on other livestock producers," she said. "The farm community needs to be very concerned."
The ban itself will not have a big effect, Krushinskie said, because many chicken producers have stopped using Baytril in deference to the concerns of customers, including many of the major fast-food companies.
Although the ban only covers the use of Baytril in poultry, Dr. Liz Wagstrom, a veterinarian with the National Pork Board in Clive, said other sectors of livestock production might be vulnerable to future decisions by government regulators to ban other antibiotics.
To help remind hog producers that they need to be very careful when using antibiotics for their swine, Wagstrom said, the pork board has launched a program called, "Take Care, Use Antibiotics Responsibly."
The thrust of the program, she said, is to persuade hog producers to take the best possible care of their livestock so they will not need to use antibiotics.
"Proper antibiotic use is extremely important for herd health and for consumer confidence in the product," Wagstrom said.The Des Moines Register
