Vets oppose ban on growth-promoting antibiotics

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

Even though they have been consulting with the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) for the last couple of months on a position paper, the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) does not agree with the OMA’s call for a ban on “prophylactic or growth-promoting use of antibiotics.”

The OMA released the position paper Wednesday calling for the ban. They also want “a veterinary prescription-only standard of access to antibiotics for animals,” something the OVMA does agree with.

The OMA recommendations attempt to deal with what they call “the growing crisis of antibiotic resistance” which the position paper refers to as “an under-recognized problem in Ontario and the rest of Canada.”

“Antibiotic resistance,” the paper says, “refers to the ability of bacterial infections to withstand antibiotics that have been successfully used to treat them in the past.”

Much of that resistance is linked to the overprescribing of antibiotics for humans as well as the use of antibiotics in the rearing of animals.

Dr. Dale Scott, past president of the OVMA, says before considering any change they want more consultation with people in various farming sectors – poultry, pork, beef, dairy. He says they would work with various sectors to seek a reduction in drugs usually administered in feed to promote growth and reduce the risk of infections.

“If we just put on a blanket ban tomorrow,” Scott says, “there are problems that could arise.” He says in some cases “you could have outbreaks of disease and death and then it becomes an animal welfare issue.” He agrees, however, that the call for a ban has some momentum. A ban is already in place in the European Union.

“An outright ban is very possible,” Scott says, “if we have international pressure . . . If more and more countries go that way, there is going to be real pressure on Canada to go that way too.”

One recommendation in the OMA report that Scott says the OVMA strongly endorses is the closing of the “own use” loophole. In their report, the OMA is calling for amendments to Ontario’s Livestock Medicines Act to ensure “that large volumes of antibiotics cannot be freely imported into the province and be applied to animals en masse without surveillance or regulation.”

The own use loophole, Scott says, allows individuals to import “boat loads” of antibiotics. “Tanker loads of antibiotics can get into the country under that loophole and there’s no veterinary surveillance at all.” He says the OVMA has been working for two decades with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to close the loophole. “It is still there and gets abused quite badly.”

Not every sector uses antibiotics in feed. Egg Farmers of Ontario general manager Harry Pelissero says egg producers in Ontario don’t use antibiotics in feed. Antibiotics, he says, are only used when prescribed by a vet.

“It’s not an issue with us,” he says. “If anything is put in the feed to treat something it would be under the supervision of a vet.”

Health Canada’s senior media relations advisor Sylwia Krzyszton says in an email, “Canada's approach is to work with partners both at home and abroad to continue closely monitoring and regulating the safe use of antimicrobial drugs in humans and animals.” She adds, “Through the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has been monitoring antimicrobial resistance in food borne bacteria over the past decade. The CIPARS also collects information on antimicrobial use in food animals.”

Dairy Farmers of Ontario has a quality program that addresses “safe use and handling of veterinary drugs.” In an email, general counsel and director of communications Graham Lloyd says, “We have strong testing and restrictions regarding antibiotic use; including prohibition of growth related antibiotics and or hormones. Any antibiotic use must be therapeutic with a drug identification number.”

The Ontario Cattlemen’s Association says in a statement that drugs used in beef production “are an important tool in protecting animal health and well being.” They add that 90 per cent of those drugs “are of a class which are not used for human health.” The statement goes on to say that “all medicated feeds are under the control of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.”

Jennifer Haley, executive director of Ontario Goat, says the problem is too big to put on the backs of farmers.

“If there are products out there that overlap the human and animal spectrum” Haley says, “then that’s something we need to look at as an industry. No one wants to compromise human health.”

She adds, however, that farmers don’t want sick animals either.

“I think the farmer has a huge responsibility but we can’t place the responsibility for the overall health of our nation on the back of a farmer. That has to be a larger discussion we have together.”

Keith Robbins, director of marketing and communications at Ontario Pork, says the use of medication is well regulated within the Ontario hog industry. He recognizes that use of animal medication plays a role in the larger problem of resistances in humans but there are many things that add to the problem, including human overuse and abuse of medications.

“Saying animals are causing the problem – it’s a much larger issue.” BF