Food Animal Antibiotic Use in the United

States

Michael D. Apley, DVM, PHD

Diplomate American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology

Definitions
Antibiotic a substance produced by a living
organism (usually bacteria or fungi) that inhibits
the growth of other microorganisms, typically
bacteria.
Some targets are specifically named, such as
antifungals, antiprotozoals, anticoccidials.

Antimicrobial A broader category which includes

the antibiotics as well as compounds produced
synthetically
Sulfas
Fluoroquinolones (e.g., Cipro)
Disinfectants are examples of environmentally applied
antimicrobials

Definitions
Resistance
Clinical resistance the inability of an
antimicrobial to make a difference in the
outcome of disease caused by an infectious
agent.
Defined through breakpoints which characterize the
potential for clinical effect by evaluating the
concentration of the antimicrobial necessary to inhibit
growth of the target organism in the laboratory.
Intrinsic this resistance is due to a characteristic of
the target organism which does not allow activity of
the antimicrobial, such as absence of the binding site.
Acquired the target organism was once susceptible,
and now has either developed (through mutation), or
received from another organism (acquired), a
mechanism to resist the effects of the antimicrobial.

Definitions
Resistance
Epidemiological resistance - a change in
the distribution of a bacterial population
as characterized by the minimal inhibitory
concentrations of multiple isolates.

Definitions
Medically important
In the U.S., the medically important antibiotics are
defined in Appendix A of Guidance for Industry #152.
These are antibiotics defined as being important,
highly important, or critically important to human
health.

Non-medically important
These are antibiotic groups not listed in GFI
An example is the ionophores, which are not used in
human medicine and have no demonstrated or
reasonably hypothesized link to any antibiotic used in
human medicine.

WHO list
The World Health Organization has a
list of medically important
antimicrobials also. They highlight 5
as the most critically important

Cephalosporins
Fluoroquinolones
Macrolides
Glycopeptides
Carbapenems

Some antibiotic use

category definitions
Growth Promotion the use of an
antibiotic to increase efficiency in
the form of feed required per unit of
weight gain or the rate at which
weight is gained.
This category of use for medically
important antibiotics will no longer be
legal after January 1, 2017.

Some antibiotic use

category definitions
Prevention of Disease the use of an
antibiotic at a time of anticipated disease
occurrence so that animals in the
population do not contract the disease.
Control of Disease the use of an
antibiotic when a disease has been
detected in a population in order to stop
the spread of the disease.
Therapy of Disease administration of an
antibiotic to affect the course of clinical
disease.

Yearly sales data are

available
In kg for all antibiotic sales in the
U.S. with a food animal label.
2014 is our our last available report for
food animal sales.
But the last publically available human
data are from 2011.

The FDA Center for Veterinary

Medicine has just released a final
rule requiring estimates of species
use in the mandatory annual
reporting provided by
pharmaceutical companies

RESISTANCE
CHALLENGE
S IN HUMAN
MEDICINE

2,049,442

23,488

Human vs. Animal Use

Comparison based on 2011 data

17,2
20

Not split out

in 2011,
2014 is first
year
available

Fluoroquinolone Facts

Labeled for individual animal

administration only in swine and cattle

Control and prevention claims

0.18% of 2014 sales (total kg of active

ingredient) of medically important
antimicrobials with a food animal label.
Any extralabel use is prohibited by law

Any use through the feed or water would be

illegal

Cephalosporin Facts

Labeled for individual animal administration in

swine, cattle, chicks, sheep, and goats.

Prevention and control labels

0.33% of 2014 sales (total kg of active

ingredient) of medically important antimicrobials
with a food animal label.
Extralabel use for another disease indication is
allowed (therapy and control only)
Label regimens are required

Extralabel regimens are prohibited

Any administration in the feed or water would be
illegal

General Food Animal Drug Facts

Any extralabel use in the feed is prohibited

Other extralabel use is only allowed under
the provisions of the Animal Medicinal Drug
Use Clarification Act (AMDUCA) regulations.

Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR)

required

As of January 1, 2017

All use of medically important antibiotics in the

feed or water of food animals must be authorized
by a veterinarian
Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) for feed
Prescription for water

Food
Animal
Human
Sales 2011 Sales 2011
Aminoglycosi
des
More Total Use
Lincosamides
by Food
Animals
Macrolides
Tetracyclines

214,895

6,485

190,101

71,455

582,836

164,028

5,652,855

113,832

Animal Agriculture
Evolution
Today it takes less than 5 hogs

Cost and availability of to produce the same amount of

Land
Animals
Feed
Fuel
Labor
Water
Prevention and

Regulation
Consumers

pork as 8 hogs back in 1959.

Water use is down 41%, land use
required is down 78%, and the
carbon footprint is down 35% as
evaluated from 1959 to 2009.
(pork.org)
In dairy production, the average
yearly milk yield per cow in 1944
was 2,074 kg. In 2007, 9,093 kg.
dairy.ifas.ufl.edu/rns/2010/11Bauman.pdf
therapeutic
options
Comparing 1977 to 2007, U.S.
beef producers use 19% less
land, 33% less feed, 12% less
water, and 9% less fossil fuel per
pound of beef produced. The
carbon footprint is down 16%

What is Stewardship?
1. Responsibility for appropriate

o:
N op
St

diagnostics and establishment of an

accurate and functional case
definition

5. Is this
antibiotic
intervention still
necessary?

Yes

En
te

2. Is there a non-antibiotic
alternative which will appropriately
prevent, control, or treat this disease
challenge?

If
not
3. Selection of an antibiotic

4. Assuring use of the

antibiotic as shown to
be safe and effective

While

which has been demonstrated

to be safe and effective for this
purpose