World Health Organization: Stop using antibiotics in healthy animals

It was quiet interesting topic that you have sent. We agree that antibiotics should have alternatives in the natural way, traditional science informs from Chinese, Taoist, Tibetians all suggest to use products mostly based on herbal extracts for the animal nutrition, poultry and aqua industries. We are exploring more on the possiblities of alternative to antibiotics. If you could suggest some of ideas relation with alternative to antibiotics it will be quiet useful for our further studies. -V.S.Ravindran

The use of antibiotics definitely causes failure of self immune system not only for animals and birds, but also the same harm for men .Every body should think and collect information from various countries about natural systems with Herbals , Essential oils etc.With the latest technology and equipment available research is to be carried and to be implemented . Garlic ,Clove oil ,Turmeric ,Ginger ,Nux vomica ,Ajowan ,Thymol ,,Marijuna ,Bakuchi seeds ,Citronella etc are more competent for developing immune system and deal specific harmful bacteria . Research to be carried which herb deals and attack the bacteria . Our fore fathers never got Cancer and other viruses due to healthy environment .

What a fantastic public health good if it could be implemented in Africa, today most of the prescribed feed grade and polysubstrate antibiotics find their ways to Africa, which is most unethical.

Recent study completed and concluded by this author on a neonate nutraceutical from France was used in preshipment and as probiotics on just one day or 2 days for broiler with a control not on the product.

The result was outstanding in trials such that all through the rearing phase of 42 days no antibiotics was used, as against repeated use of antibiotic in the control production and profitability analysis established for trials and control with very efficient results for the test trials than in the control.

Besides our study of using thus product as a hydrating agent for chick transportation ton long distant shipment over 100 kilometers increased ability by 1.6% over chicks so transported without the hydrating agent.

Such products even with better production indexes ands profitability analysis should be encouraged to replace antibiotic in other to minimise human resistances
Interested projects that are interested in the production and profitability analysis of this unique product should contact livestock industry foundation for Africa at lifango48@gmail .com and copy soavet@ yahoo.com.

 Attention. Dr. Stephen Adejoro

Some big poultry producers in Ukraine are successfully introducing phytobiotics like AdiCox Sol or powder form for the prophylactic of subclinical coccidiosis in turkey and layers. In higher dose liquid form also showed an efficacy during clinical outbreak. Good management and biosecurity are extremely important for the best results.

The key to a production system that does not need antibiotics to have healthy animals, is to correct the disease of the production system. A first step is to identify the areas in the production system that stresses, Tthe animals, does not meet their nutritional needs or social needs. Simply looking for alternative Products to medicate the system is not the right approach. It is important to go in and perform a wholistic audit of the production system, and correct the underlying weaknesses and flaws prior to turning to alternatives. There are many good alternatives to antibiotics, but these really need to be used within an antimcrobial reduction program. Reduction of antimicrobial use will lead to a healthier production system, where we do not try to adapt the animals to our systems, but we adapt the systems to the animals.

Let's all face it! The purpose of antibiotics is for curative/therapeutic use in both humans and animals. While we, in animal production, cannot totally disregard antibiotics in our production systems, we should be cognizant of their consequential effects in the human food chain based on meat, milk, and egg products. Our responsibility to provide safe and uncontaminated food products is foremost in our decisions to the use of antibiotics, These products should only be availed of as therapeutic agents for the specific diseases we face following the specified dosages and keeping in mind the period for the elimination of the drug before any processing or slaughtering of animals or their products. More emphasis should be focused on biosecurity and management. Healthy animals do not need antibiotics!

Gwyn Jones, UK RUMA chairman, says: The WHO Guidelines on Use of Medically Important Antimicrobials in Food-Producing Animals published today (7 November) are largely consistent with the UK’s direction of travel. Our farming industry has a clear strategy in place and has rapidly achieved reductions of 27% in sales of antibiotics for food-producing animals within two years. This includes significant falls in sales of highest priority antibiotics, and exceeds a major government target two years early [1]. Furthermore, a demanding set of targets for each of the key livestock sectors has just been announced [2], designed to further reduce, refine and replace use of antibiotics in farm animals while safeguarding their welfare. So while the WHO Guidelines are consistent with some aspects of the current UK strategy, they also expose important differences between the global and the European – and specifically the UK – position. For example: • all antibiotics for animal treatment require a prescription in the UK and use for growth promotion was banned over 10 years ago; many countries globally do not yet have these curbs. • UK government and RUMA follow the European Medicines Agency guidelines [3] on CIA definitions because they identify the degree of risk to human health should antimicrobial resistance develop after use in animals; WHO does not consider this. • the UK, with its high regard for animal welfare, observes a ‘One Health’ approach focused on the best outcomes for people, animals, and the environment [4]; WHO focuses on human health. We know some practices in veterinary medicine, as in human medicine, cannot continue. For example, RUMA does not support the routine preventive use of antibiotics where disease challenge can be prevented by better husbandry and farm management [5]. But we also recognise that time, investment and support are needed to make long-term sustainable changes without harming animal welfare. This means the WHO guidelines, especially based on what the WHO admits is low or very low quality evidence, are neither compatible with the UK’s priorities, nor necessary given recent progress. [1] Record low for sales of antibiotics for use in animals, Defra https://www.gov.uk/government/news/record-low-for-sales-of-antibiotics-for-use-in-animals & Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance and Sales Surveillance 2016, VMD https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterinary-antimicrobial-resistance-and-sales-surveillance-2016 [2] RUMA Targets Task Force http://www.ruma.org.uk/industry-task-force-announces-new-farm-antibiotic-targets/ [3] RUMA adopts European Medicines Agency ‘highest priority’ antibiotics list http://www.ruma.org.uk/ruma-adopts-european-medicines-agency-highest-priority-antibiotics-list/ [4] UK 5 Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2013 to 2018 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-5-year-antimicrobial-resistance-strategy-2013-to-2018 [5] RUMA position statement on the preventive use of antibiotics in farm animals http://www.ruma.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/RUMA-preventive-use-statement-final-2013.docx