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Antimicrobials And The Beef Industry

Apr 29, 2015
The topic of antimicrobial resistance and usage of antimicrobials in food producing animals has been attracting a great deal of attention in recent months. In April 2015, Health Canada announced regulatory amendments to address antimicrobial resistance to protect the antimicrobials that are currently used and to promote the prudent use of these products. It has been almost twenty years since a new antimicrobial has been released.
 
There have been a lot of questions about what exactly are antimicrobials? It is a substance that can prevent or destroy the growth of microorganisms.  Antibiotics are antimicrobials. Resistance to antimicrobials occurs naturally as microbes change their genetic makeup so that they are no longer harmed or killed by antimicrobials. However, when drugs are not used properly – improper dosages, duration of treatment and disposal, both in human and animal medicine – those microbes that are naturally resistant can increase. This is why it is critical in both human and animal medicine to follow prescription directions and complete medication even after symptoms have gone away. Antimicrobial resistant microbes can be minimized with the proper use and disposal of the drugs.
 
While the topic has been in the news lately it is not new. In the early 1990’s, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association came out with a policy on prudent use of drugs in the Quality Starts Here program. Eventually this program evolved into the Verified Beef Program, which is an on-farm food safety program that demonstrates what producers do to use, store and dispose of antimicrobials in a proper manner and keep accurate records. This program is recognized by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and is developing new modules that will include biosecurity standards to help reduce the incidence and spread of infections and disease.
 
The Canadian beef industry has been part of a surveillance program since 2002, when the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance program began collecting samples from abattoirs and beef retailers to track resistance to antimicrobials of ‘high importance’ in human health. To date the results have shown resistance to the ‘high importance’ antimicrobials for human health is low and not increasing.
 
Antimicrobials are divided into four categories:
 
Very High Importance – Drugs used to treat very serious infections in human
High Importance – Drugs used to treat intermediate infections in humans
Medium Importance – Drugs that are rarely used in human medicine
Low Importance – Drugs not used in human medicine such as ionophores
 
Drugs in all four categories are licensed for use in beef cattle but the majority of the drugs used in the beef industry fall into the ‘Low Importance’ category. Public Health Agency of Canada has reported that the use of ‘Very High’ and ‘High’ categories are sold and used predominantly in human medicine (80 per cent) and less than 20 per cent in these categories are sold and used in animal medicine.
 
Now this is not to say antimicrobial resistance is not a concern in the beef industry. If pathogens becomes resistant to antimicrobials, animals will not respond to treatment which may result in a loss of performance and death. Also, resistant pathogens in the animals may also be able to pass resistance onto human pathogens.
 
To end the use of all antimicrobials in food producing animals may not be the answer. During 1994 to 1999 Denmark phased out the use of antimicrobials in food producing animals. Since 2001, there has been an increase in the amount of prescribed veterinary antimicrobials used and the number of drugs in the ‘High Importance’ category has increased in animal medicine. As well, there has not been a trend showing a decrease in antimicrobial resistance in cattle in Denmark.
 
This is a complex subject and one that is not taken lightly. It is key for producers to continue to be vigilant when treating animals and to maintain a relationship with their herd veterinarian. Programs like the Verified Beef Program are important to identify what producers need to do on farm to continue to ensure the safety of the food they produce. The program is also a method of telling a story of how we care for our animals and at the same time ensure the food produced is safe and nutritious.
 
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