FDA Promotes Judicious Use of Antibiotics in Farm Animals

On April 11, 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced new rules concerning the use of antibiotics in farm animals. According to the New York Times, farmers and ranchers will now need a prescription from a veterinarian before using antibiotics for livestock. Thus, certain antibiotics would not be used for so-called “production” purposes, such as to enhance animal growth. But these antibiotics would still be available to prevent, control, or treat illnesses in food-producing animals under the supervision of a veterinarian. The FDA hopes that this will decrease the instances of antibiotic resistance in humans.

The New York Times reports "at least two million people are sickened and an estimated 99,000 die every year from hospital-acquired infections, the majority of which result from such resistant strains."