The members of the European Parliament’s Environment and Public Health Committee have advocated to ban collective and preventive antibiotic treatments of animals. Instead, the lawmakers want to stimulate research into new medicines so that new and better drugs can be developed. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics can spur resistance to the drugs, posing risks to human health. “Antibiotics are a key tool in modern medicine, but they also pose serious health risks, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women or people with chronic diseases,” said committee member Eva Lichten@@ All members of the European Parliament will vote on the ENVI Committee’s report on the use of antibiotics in farm animals in the plenary in April or May. 25,000 In Denmark, the amount of antimicrobials – including antibiotics – given to farmed chicken fell by 90% in 13 years. In Norway, vaccination and improved fish health management helped antibiotic use in fish farming to almost disappear in less than 20 years. The European Parliament will vote on the issue in April or May.
The members of the European Parliament’s Environment and Public Health Committee have advocated to ban collective and preventive antibiotic treatments of animals. Instead, the lawmakers want to stimulate research into new medicines so that new and better drugs can be developed. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics can spur resistance to the drugs, posing risks to human health. “Antibiotics are a key tool in modern medicine, but they also pose serious health risks, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women or people with chronic diseases,” said committee member Eva Lichten@@ In Denmark, the amount of antimicrobials – including antibiotics – given to farmed chicken fell by 90% in 13 years. In Norway, vaccination and improved fish health management helped antibiotic use in fish farming to almost disappear in less than 20 years. The European Parliament will vote on the issue in April or May.