NAMI reaffirms commitment to combating antibiotic resistance

The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and its Foundation are joining together with more than 150 major food companies, retailers, and human and animal health stakeholders at the White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship in an effort to implement changes over the next five years to slow the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, detect resistant strains, preserve the efficacy of our existing antibiotics, and prevent the spread of resistant infections.
“The White House event is an important opportunity to bring together leaders from human and animal medicine to address one of the most complex challenges facing medical doctors and veterinarians,” said NAMI President and CEO Barry Carpenter. “We hope it will foster a stronger understanding of antibiotic resistance and help lead to meaningful steps to best ensure both human and animal health.”
NAMI has taken an active leadership role in addressing and communicating the issue of antibiotic use and resistance to respond to customer and consumer concerns and remains committed to continuing those communications efforts, which includes messaging to our consumers, retail and foodservice customers, and the scientific community.
NAMI supports ongoing and future research for therapeutic options and further understanding how antimicrobial resistance is developed and transmitted among humans, animals, and other living organisms. Since 2012, the Meat Institute has supported the development of an antibiotic stewardship program for food animal production systems. NAMI is committed to working with producer groups, allied stakeholders, pharmaceutical companies, and animal health professionals to achieve these objectives.
In addition, the North American Meat Institute Foundation has supported research that reduced and ultimately eliminated multidrug-resistant pathogens from meat and poultry products. The Foundation is committed to continuing to work with USDA to develop actionable research priorities in the area of antibiotic use and resistance. The Foundation will also continue funding research and developing educational programs to address this area, as recommended by its Research Advisory Committee.
“Consumer health is the driving force in the production of meat and poultry products, which not only includes offering nutrient dense protein food products but also improving and maintaining the safety of meat and poultry our industry produces,” said Betsy Booren, Foundation president. “For that reason, we are committed to addressing the concerns pertaining to antimicrobial resistance.”

Using viruses to treat bacterial infections in pigs?

Pig producers could soon be using viruses to treat bacterial infections. Professor Martha Clokie, University of Leicester, is going to be leading research into certain types of viruses that could be used to treat Brachyspira and Salmonella in pigs.
Speaking at the BPEX Innovation Conference, Clokie said that viruses behave as selective parasites of bacteria. Therefore, “friendly” viruses, known as bacteriophages, can be used as specific and targeted treatments for certain bacteria.
“In our work in humans we’ve been able to use certain viruses to treat the gut bacterium Clostridium difficile,” she said. “Plus, because of the phages’ specificity, they can also be used to diagnose which bacteria are causing active infection.
“Phages have been used to treat bacteria in this way for 100 years but interest in this area has been revived recently because of the rise in resistance to antibiotics. Originally, the specificity of bacteriophages was seen as a challenge and the broad spectrum of antibiotics made them the favoured option when they were discovered, she said.
“However, bacteriophages are highly specific to their host and only bind to and infect those bacteria. Because of this, they won’t damage the whole flora of the gut which makes them a valuable alternative option to antibiotics.”
Clokie mentioned that, in future, they could be used at farm level or even in the abattoir to reduce contamination of carcasses. 

Antibiotic use deserves serious talks, not scare tactics

Dr. Robin Ganzert, American Humane Association president and CEO
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The recent release of the Food and Drug Administration’s report on antibiotic sales brought a round of calls from certain advocacy groups to ban the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture. These advocates remind me of another crowd: the anti-vaccination movement. Both the groups pushing for an antibiotic-free animal agriculture and the “anti-vaxxers” ignore established science on their respective issues in a way that leads to diminished human and animal welfare.
We certainly should have a debate about the judicious use of antibiotics in agriculture, but jumping to an outright ban defies science and common sense, will cause more animal suffering, and may have adverse effects on public health.
While those pushing for an outright ban are on the fringe, concerns about antibiotic-resistant bacteria in agriculture are starting to hit the mainstream. In American Humane Association’s 2014 Humane Heartland Farm Animal Welfare Survey, more than half of the respondents indicated that they seek out food labeled “antibiotic free,” second only behind “humanely raised.”
Lack of evidence that animal antibiotic use is bad for human health
Opponents of antibiotics frequently point to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that at least two million Americans become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics every year. Reports indicate that the most resistant infections reside in human hospital settings. However, there is no evidence that antibiotics used in animal agriculture have decreased the effectiveness of antibiotics in humans. According to Dr. Stephanie Doores of Pennsylvania State University, “People would be more likely to die from a bee sting than for their antibiotic treatment to fail because of macrolide-resistant bacteria in meat or poultry.”
A look across the world to Denmark is also instructive. Despite a complete ban on antibiotic use for growth promotion instituted in 2000, there is very little evidence that it led to any positive impacts on human health or a decline in antibiotic resistant bacteria. In fact, it has resulted in a significant increase in the therapeutic use of antibiotics in animals, due to animals getting sick.
Antibiotics can and do  help animal well-being
Science – and common sense – tell us that antibiotics can and do help improve well-being, decrease mortality rates of farm animals, and prevent unnecessary suffering. Just as they do when given to a child with strep throat, antibiotics relieve the pain and distress of sick animals while helping them to recover. One of the Five Freedoms upon which the American Humane Certified program is based is the freedom “from pain, injury and disease.” An outright ban would be inhumane to sick animals, and would violate one of the Five Freedoms that serves as the internationally accepted social contract with animals.
Additionally, what is not often discussed is that use of antibiotics in farm animals provides for a safer food supply, and that the FDA has long required withdrawal periods for such use. As noted by Dr. Christine Hoang, assistant director of the American Veterinary Medical Association, in her 2010 testimony to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health: “For food animals, drugs additionally contribute to the public health by mitigating disease and thereby reducing the numbers of bacteria entering the food supply. Studies show that a reduction in the incidence of food animal illness will reduce bacterial contamination on meat, thereby reducing the risk of human illness.”
Science-based dialogues on antibiotics needed
Because it is an issue of concern for the public, antibiotic use in agriculture demands a healthy and robust discussion. But veterinarians, public health professionals and scientists should be determining what the appropriate use of antibiotics is. And such a discussion needs to include outcomes for the sick animal, as it’s simply not humane to leave an animal to suffer needlessly.
Recent moves by Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s demonstrate that the issue is becoming more urgent. Let’s set aside the scare tactics and pressure campaigns and have a real, honest conversation about safe and proper antibiotic use that’s driven by science.
Agriculture, researchers and humane organizations must work together to educate the public and food companies about proper antibiotic use, or else the dialogue will be led by misinformation. In working together, we can develop policies that improve animal health and welfare, safeguard our abundant food supply and protect public health. Better science is needed to advance a better understanding of human and animal health, and define what it is to be humane.
The views expressed in the guest commentaries on WATTAgnet.com are those of the authors’ and do not reflect the opinions of the editors at Watt Global Media. Those with differing opinions are encouraged to comment on this site or contact tokeefe@wattnet.net

Canada introducing new rules on animal antibiotic use

Canadian Health Minister Rona Ambrose is introducing new measures and strengthening regulations to encourage prudent use of antibiotics used in animal agriculture, particularly involving those that are considered important in human medicine.
This effort is intended to help minimize the global emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance and to conserve the effectiveness of available antimicrobials. These actions will protect public health and food safety and align with other countries, the health minister said.
Health Canada has already worked with the pharmaceutical industry to phase out all growth promotion claims of medically-important antimicrobial drugs by December 2016. In addition, Health Canada plans to:


• Propose amendments to the Food and Drug Regulations to address personal use importation of veterinary drugs, and strengthen the control over the importation of veterinary active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs); and
• Continue to work with stakeholders to increase the appropriate veterinary oversight with respect to access to all medically-important antimicrobial drugs that are used in livestock drinking water and feeds. This measure will require further amendments to the Food and Drug Regulations and the Feeds Regulations.
These initiatives are part of the Canadian government’s recently released Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Use in Canada, which builds on the Federal Framework for Action announced in October 2014. The department will continue to engage partners and stakeholders while the proposed amendments to the Food and Drug Regulations are being developed and further actions on AMR are being implemented.


Chicken Farmers of Canada supports reduction of antibiotic use
The Canadian government’s move to limit antibiotic use has drawn the praise from poultry industry group Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC).
“Chicken Farmers of Canada supports the federal government in their objective of amending these regulations to ensure responsible antimicrobial stewardship,” said Dave Janzen, CFC chair. “The chicken industry is continuing to study all facets of antibiotic use in animal agriculture to ensure that responsible, appropriate, and safe use of antibiotics can continue while reduction methods are explored at all levels of the industry, and with stakeholders and government partners.”
CFC stated that it supports the responsible use of antimicrobials to maintain animal health, animal welfare and food safety and is pleased to partner with the federal government on these issues.

Algal Scientific secures $7 million in funding

Algal Scientific Corporation, a biotech developer and manufacturer of algae-based chemicals and a supplier of related technologies for the food and beverage industries, has closed a $7 million Series B funding round. The investment is being led by Formation 8, with additional participation from Evonik Industries and Independence Equity, all returning investors. This brings the total amount raised by the company to more than $10 million.
Algal Scientific was founded in 2009 with the goal of leveraging its expertise in biology and engineering to develop transformative agriculture solutions for some of society’s greatest problems, including the massive overuse of antibiotics in the world’s food supply. The company has created Algamune, the world’s first beta glucan commercially produced from algae, which can be introduced into the diets of livestock and poultry to naturally support the animals’ immune systems without relying on antibiotics.
“There is no question that antibiotic resistance is a problem that is only going to get worse unless significant changes are made to the way we utilize antibiotics,” said Geoff Horst, CEO at Algal Scientific. “We are thrilled that Formation 8, Evonik, Independence Equity and our other investors have had the foresight to get ahead of this growing issue by showing their support for Algal Scientific’s vision. Their financial and strategic support will help us accelerate our efforts to disrupt the agriculture space in a way that has lasting benefits for both animal and human health.”
“Our investment in Algal Scientific is a terrific example of our focus on supporting extraordinary entrepreneurs leveraging new technology platforms to tackle big global problems, in this case the negative consequences associated with current methods of food production,” said Jim Kim, founder and managing partner at Formation 8. “Algal Scientific is a disruptive force with an innovative and scalable agriculture technology solution and clear vision to bring about lasting global health benefits while also improving the quality and efficiency of livestock production.”
With this new funding, Algal Scientific plans to dedicate even more resources to addressing and overcoming the global overuse of antibiotics, specifically of those used in the food supply. It’s estimated that 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in the United States are used on livestock and poultry, which increases the chances for bacteria in the environment to develop resistance to these critically important drugs.
Algal Scientific has already made significant strides in combating this challenge by creating Algamune. Algamune is produced by growing a selected strain of natural, non-GMO microalgae in controlled, sterile fermentation systems so that it contains high concentrations of beta-1,3-glucan, which has long been known for its ability to naturally support a healthy immune system.
“Because it is derived from algae, studies show the beta glucan is more bio-available to the animal than that produced from yeast sources. Algamune delivers better health, efficiency and profitability potential and is a certified organic product,” said Michael Officer, vice president, sales and marketing, at Algal Scientifit.
“Algamune can benefit birds being grown in any type of commercial production system, especially antibiotic free and organic operations,” Officer said. “Our numerous trials and studies demonstrate Algamune will help support immune function allowing the animal to fight disease naturally and help deter health issues as well as or better than most feed additives and other beta glucan products. Algamune is the perfect solution for producers looking to supply major customers in the food industry with antibiotic-free poultry.”

EU report provides insight on antimicrobial resistance

The use of certain antimicrobials in animals and humans has been associated with resistance to these antimicrobials in bacteria from animals and humans. There are also important differences in the consumption of antimicrobials in animals and in humans between European countries. These are some of the findings of the first integrated analysis of data from humans, animals and food in Europe published jointly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
The ECDC/EFSA/EMA first joint report on the integrated analysis of the consumption of antimicrobial agents and occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria from humans and food-producing animals also identifies data limitations that need to be addressed to allow further analysis and conclusions to be drawn. These include additional data on antimicrobial consumption by animal species, data on antimicrobial consumption in hospitals in more European countries and monitoring of resistant bacteria in the normal flora from both healthy and diseased people.
The analysis was carried out at the request of the European Commission and combines data from five European monitoring networks that gather information from the European Union (EU) member states, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. 
This holistic approach aims to make better use of the existing data and thus strengthen coordinated surveillance systems on antimicrobial consumption and antimicrobial resistance in human and veterinary medicine, and to allow policy makers to decide on the best way to tackle antimicrobial resistance in humans and animals.
The joint report will inform the European Commission’s action plan against the rising threats from antimicrobial resistance. The data will also contribute to establishing strong methodologies and priorities in the fight against the development of antimicrobial resistance.
This is the first in a series of reports that EMA, EFSA and ECDC are planning to publish based on the data collected by various monitoring networks.
Access to accurate data on the use of antimicrobials and the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance is an essential step to develop and monitor policies that minimize the development of resistance and keep antimicrobials effective for future generations.

Animal antibiotic study launched by Colorado State University

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  Colorado State University researchers are conducting studies to track antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

  From WATTAgNet:
  Colorado State University researchers are conducting a series of studies to track antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the animal agriculture industry in an effort to determine if farm practices are contributing to problems on antibiotic resistance.
  Using a $2.25 million grant from the USDA, the scientists will focus on the DNA of these bacteria to help identify and trace back where such organisms become drug-resistant. The seven research projects will focus mostly on beef and dairy operations, though some of the research will be conducted on hog and poultry farms. The projects are expected to begin in the coming weeks, Morley said.
  "We're trying to answer the question, 'Are agricultural production systems truly affecting human health by increasing antimicrobial resistance?'" said veterinarian Paul Morley, a professor of epidemiology and infection control at Colorado State University, Fort Collins.
  Using DNA sequencing technology, Morley and Keith Belk, professor in the school's Center for Meat Safety and Quality, and others plan to trace the specific genes that cause resistance in bacteria. That, they hope, will help them uncover sources and ways such "superbugs" travel between animals and humans, said Morley, one of the lead researchers in the project.
  Partners on the three-year project include the CSU departments of Computer Science; Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences; Education; and Food Science and Human Nutrition. Others include the Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Public Health Agency of Canada, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and industry collaborators providing access to their animals.

New antibiotic could be game changer in fight against resistance

An antibiotic with the ability to vanquish drug-resistant pathogens has been discovered, through a soil bacterium found just beneath the surface of a field in Maine. The discovery, coming at a time of increasing concern over use and curbs to antibiotic use, could lead to considerable benefits for human medicine and, by implication, for veterinary medicine.
A team from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, have reported in Nature that the antibiotic, which they have named teixobactin, is active against the bacterium methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in mice, and a host of other pathogens in cell cultures. If the compound behaves similarly in people, it may prove to be a much-needed triumph in the war against antibiotic resistance.
The researchers used a device to discover teixobactin that has the potential to reveal further undiscovered antibiotics as it enables “unculturable” microbes to thrive in the laboratory, and so makes it easier to discover bacteria that naturally produce compounds deadly to other pathogens.
Mining dark matter
Many of the most successful antibiotics were found by scientists who trawled microbial communities for bacteria capable of killing their brethren. But the researchers missed the type that produces teixobactin, Eleftheria terrae, as well as many more candidates – known collectively as microbial “dark matter” – because of their reluctance to adapt to life on a petri dish.
The device used to identify teixobactin, called the iChip, works by sorting individual bacterial cells harvested from soil into single chambers. The device is then buried in the ground. Several molecules in that environment are able to diffuse into the iChip, allowing the bacteria to thrive in a more natural setting than a petri dish. Typically, only about 1 percent of microbes in a soil sample are able to grow in the laboratory. The iChip extends that to 50 percent, offering the possibility of further discoveries.
The researchers tested 10,000 of the resulting bacterial colonies to see whether any were able to halt the growth of S aureus. That search yielded 25 potential candidates, but teixobactin has been the most attractive so far.
Research team leader Kim Lewis believes that the importance of teixobactin lies in the fact that it will be difficult for pathogens to develop resistance against it.
Unusually for an antibiotic, he says, teixobactin is thought to attack microbes by binding to fatty lipids that make up the bacterial cell wall, and it is difficult for a bacterium to alter such fundamental building blocks of the cell. By comparison, most antibiotics target proteins and it can be relatively easy for a microbe to become resistant to those drugs by accumulating mutations that alter the target protein’s shape.
Seeing a commercial product come to market could still be some time away, however.
While teixobactin has been tested in mice and has yet to show any toxic side effects, demonstrating safety in humans will be important, notes Barry Einstein, senior vice-president of scientific affairs at Cubist Pharmaceuticals, which attempted mining dark matter a decade ago.
Toxicity is still the leading cause of failure in turning a potential antibiotic drug into a real drug, and disappointingly, teixobactin has disappointed in its failure to kill gram-negative bacteria, however Einstein believes there is reason to be optimistic about teixobactin because it is rare to find a single molecule with so many promising properties.
Need for more medicine choices
Both human and veterinary medicine need new antibiotics;however, research in the field has been significantly reduced over recent years.
Resistance is spreading faster than the introduction of new compounds into clinical practice, causing a public health crisis, and the discovery of teixobactin comes amid growing warnings from public-health experts about the dangers of antibiotic resistance, and decreasing options for treatment.
In 2014, the World Health Organization declared that the post-antibiotic era – a time in which people could die from ordinary and minor injuries – could begin this century.
In human medicine doctors are repeatedly being urged to prescribe antibiotics with greater caution, while in agriculture, producers are facing growing curbs as, use of antibiotics in livestock, it has been argued, is leading to antibiotic resistance in human medicine.
Agriculture has been at the forefront in efforts to reduce antibiotic use, particularly where drugs can be used across animals and humans, however, it is not the case that all agricultural use antibiotics are used in human medicine, take for example ionophores.
There are also some macrolides, which are also derived from soil organisms, for example tyvalosin, marketed by Eco Animal Health as Aivlosin, and used in the poultry industry against mycoplasma spp. Company global marketing manager Marc Coulier notes that tyvalosin is not used in human medicine and is only administered in low doses for a rapid response as and when issues arise, meaning that its use can help producers align with responsible use initiatives.

APLU, AAVMC create task force on antibiotic resistance

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) have created the Task Force on Antibiotic Resistance in Production Agriculture.
The task force is comprised of representatives from U.S. agriculture colleges/land grant universities and veterinary colleges as well as key representatives from the production animal agriculture community and the pharmaceutical industry. The goal of the task force is to advise the federal government on a research agenda and publicly disseminate information on the use of antibiotics in production agriculture. Officials from key federal agencies are expected to serve as observers to the task force and leaders from public universities in Mexico and Canada will serve as ex officio members.
Scientists and the public have grown increasingly concerned about the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in veterinary and human medicine. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have expressed serious concerns as well. Some bacteria have developed defenses against different classes of antibiotic compounds.
"We recognize antibiotic resistance as a public health challenge and look forward to collaborating with APLU and the federal government on this critical initiative," said AAVMC Executive Director Andrew T. Maccabe, noting that many of the AAVMC's member institutions are based at land-grant universities.
"This is an important collaborative effort," APLU President Peter McPherson said. "The task force and its members are well-positioned to advise the Obama administration as they consider strategies to address the judicious use of antibiotics in production agriculture."
Dr. Lonnie J. King, chair of the task force and dean of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, said, "The task force will draw on the expertise of its members to serve as a knowledgeable and important source of advice for the federal government as it develops its plans. It can also make recommendations on further research that should be undertaken to develop alternative solutions for some antibiotic use in production agriculture."
On September 18, 2014, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released a report, Combating Antibiotic Resistance, which laid out several recommendations to address the problem. President Obama has also issued an executive order that describes the antibiotic-resistant bacteria problem as a national security priority and directs various executive branch departments and agencies to develop a specific plan of action by mid-February 2015 to address antibiotic resistance and protect public health.
APLU and AAVMC are broadly supportive of the goals articulated in President Obama's executive order and the framework provided in the PCAST report.
Once policies are established, according to King, APLU member institutions will play an important role in educating producers and the general public about the appropriate use of antibiotics in agriculture and veterinary medicine and the design of effective stewardship programs.

Decreasing antimicrobial resistance trends shown in FDA report

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 11 released its National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) 2011 Executive Report, showing mostly decreasing antimicrobial resistance trends. The annual NARMS Executive Report focuses on resistance to antibiotics that are considered important in human medicine as well as multidrug resistance (described as resistance to three or more classes of antibiotics), according to the FDA.
Under the NARMS program, samples are collected from human, food producing animals and retail meat sources, and tested for certain bacteria, specifically non-typhoidal Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli and Enterococcus, to determine whether such bacteria are resistant to various antibiotics used in human and veterinary medicine.
Among the key findings are:


• Eighty-fivepercent of non-typhoidal Salmonella collected from humans, whichincludes Heidelberg, Hadar, Typhimurim, and Enteritidis serotypes, had noresistance to any of the antibiotics tested.  (Non-typhoidal Salmonellarefers to one of the 2,300 serotypes of Salmonella except forTyphi, Paratyphi A, Paratyphi B (tartrate negative) and Paratyphi C.)
• Duringits 16-year history, NARMS has found Salmonella resistance tociprofloxacin to be very low (less than0.5 percent in humans, less than 3 percent in retail meat, and less than 1percent in animals at slaughter).  Ciprofloxacin, one of the most common antibiotics to treatSalmonella infections in humans, belongsto a group of drugs called fluoroquinolones whichwere ceased for use in poultry in 2005.
• Multi-drugresistance in Salmonella from humans and slaughtered chickens wasthe lowest since NARMS testing began.
• Resistanceto erythromycin, the antibiotic of choice to treat Campylobacter infections,in Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) has remained at less than 4percent in isolates obtained from humans, retail chicken and slaughtered chicken since testing began.
"NCC (National Chicken Council) is pleased to see many positive trends in the data including a decrease in resistance in several foodborne pathogens and that first-line antibiotics remain effective in treating illnesses," said Ashley Peterson, Ph.D., NCC vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs.  "Though this data is from 2011, this report provides a strong case that the continued judicious use of antibiotics by poultry and livestock producers is aiding in the reduction of resistance in various foodborne pathogens.
"Chicken producers, veterinarians and our animal health partners are committed to continue to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics for both humans and animals and minimize the potential for bacteria to develop resistance.
"NCC supports FDA's Guidance #213 that is phasing-out the growth-promoting uses of those antibiotics in livestock and poultry that are used in human medicine.  We believe that this transition will continue to preserve the effectiveness of those antibiotics used to treat human illnesses.  We also support FDA's proposed Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) that will ensure all antibiotics that are administered to food producing animals will be done so under the prescription of a licensed veterinarian.  Both of these actions by FDA and full cooperation by chicken producers and animal health companies will help continue to drive the decrease in resistance in foodborne pathogens.
"One thing consumers should remember is that all pathogens potentially found on raw chicken, regardless of strain or resistance profile, will be fully destroyed by handling the product properly and cooking it to an internal temperature of 165F."

Antibiotic resistance confusion revealed in survey

A recent survey reveals that consumers are confused about the causes of antibiotic resistance and the use of antibiotics in livestock and poultry production. The survey was conducted online in March among more than 2,100 U.S. adults by Harris Poll for the American Meat Institute (AMI).
When asked what the greatest contributing factor to human antibiotic resistance was, only 41 percent correctly answered “health professionals over-prescribing to people.” Eighteen percent thought use of antibiotics in livestock production was the number one contributing factor according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Seven percent thought the CDC found antimicrobial hand sanitizers to be the biggest factor; five percent thought the answer was drinking water and 28 percent said they were unsure.
During a September 2013 press conference to release a report on antibiotics, CDC Director Thomas Frieden, MD, said, “Right now, the most acute problem is in hospitals. And the most resistant organisms in hospitals are emerging in those settings because of poor antimicrobial stewardship among humans.”  In fact, he said that half of all antibiotic prescriptions given to humans are unnecessary.
CDC also said that it is important to use good stewardship in administering antibiotics during livestock and poultry production and that animal antibiotic use for growth promotion should be phased out, an effort that is already under way at the request of the Food and Drug Administration and a move that the American Meat Institute supports.
The survey also reflected confusion around the issue of antibiotic residues. Thirty-nine percent think that unsafe levels of antibiotics are commonly present in the meat and poultry products found at the grocery store, though government data show that violative antibiotic residues in meat and poultry are virtually non-existent.  In 2011, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service screened meat and poultry for 128 chemicals, and 99 percent of the tested carcasses were free of all of them.
To help counter the confusion, AMI has released a new, referenced and reviewed brochure called “Antibiotics in Livestock & Poultry Production: Sort Fact from Fiction.”  The brochure may be downloaded from the AMI website.  AMI also released a new “Media MythCrusher” to help the media avoid some of the most common errors in reporting about the antibiotic issue.

Perdue leader: Antibiotic use perceptions must be respected

Consumer feelings about antibiotic use in meat and poultry production may not always be fact-based or accurate, but those feelings must still be respected by meat and poultry producers, Joe Forsthoffer, director of corporate communications, Perdue Farms, said. Speaking May 8 at the Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholder Summit, Forsthoffer said consumer opinions, including those regarding antibiotics, are a large driving factor in the food industry.
“If we don’t respect the feelings of consumers and other stakeholders, they’re not going to respect us. What we’re finding is we can’t speak to them as if we’re arguing policy issues. Even if their feelings aren’t rational, they’re still valid as feelings,” said Forsthoffer.
The summit largely revolved around the millennial generation and its views on food production, including animal antibiotic use. Forsthoffer, admittedly not a millennial, recalled that during his youth he had a special fondness for Tang and for TV dinners. While those food products were not the most wholesome or nutritious, they still held a special place in his heart. Many consumers have a similar attachment to chicken raised without antibiotics.
In response to the demand for chicken raised without antibiotics, Perdue produces antibiotic-free brands Harvestland and Coleman Natural.
“It is an opportunity to build stakeholder trust in the way that we operate our business, and it’s an opportunity, equally importantly or more importantly, to increase consumer confidence in our products and build a higher level of trust,” Forsthoffer said.

Antimicrobial use, resistance symposium white paper released

The science behind the emergence, amplification, persistence and transfer of antibiotic resistance is highly complex and open to interpretation - and sometimes misinterpretation - from a wide variety of perspectives and misuse. If one thinks they understand antimicrobial resistance, it might not have been properly explained.
The extremely complex relationship between animal health, human health and environmental health is driven by two premises. The first is that antimicrobial resistance is a naturally occurring phenomenon that is present with or without the use of antimicrobials. The second is that anytime an antibiotic enters the ecosystem, it has the potential to contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance.
These two points were among the many shared during the "Bridging the Gap between Animal Health and Human Health" symposium sponsored by the National Institute for Animal Agriculture and conducted November 12-14, 2013, in Kansas City, Mo. These points and additional information synthesized from the symposium comprise a 27-page "Bridging the Gap between Animal Health and Human Health" symposium white paper recently released by NIAA.
"This white paper highlights information delivered during the symposium by 20 different speakers-including antibiotic use and resistance experts representing animal health, human health and public health as well as a consumer advocate organization, grocery retailers, staff members and selected media representing agriculture and consumer advocates," states Dr. Nevil Speer, Ph.D., Western Kentucky University, and co-chair of the "Bridging the Gap between Animal Health and Human Health" symposium.
"Open and candid presentations and discussions emphasized that those in human health and in animal health are committed to continuous improvement and are working to find common ground so a collective path forward can be formulated. Having a tug-of-war of human versus agricultural use of antibiotics doesn't advance a solution. This paper underscores the importance of taking a 360-degree view and addressing antibiotic resistance from an all-inclusive, science-based perspective."
The Antimicrobial Use and Resistance White Paper is available on the NIAA's website. Many of the symposium's PowerPoint presentations, including the audio, are also available in full.

Antibiotic resistance is complex, open to misinterpretation

The sharing of science-based antibiotic use and resistance information continued among experts and leaders from the animal, human and public health communities during the "Bridging the Gap Between Animal Health and Human Health" symposium sponsored by the National Institute for Animal Agriculture and conducted Nov. 12-14, in Kansas City, Mo. Adding to the symposium's insightful, transparent discussions were presentations by media and consumer advocacy group representatives as well as questions generated by symposium attendees.
"Antibiotic resistance has been called the single most complex problem in public health, and this symposium provided respective health communities and disciplines a platform where they shared their latest research findings," states Dr. Nevil Speer, co-chair of the symposium and a professor at Western Kentucky University.
"This year's antibiotic use and resistance symposium not only shed additional light on this often polarized topic but we identified common ground so a collective path forward that serves the best interests of all parties can be forged."
The 170-plus symposium participants from across animal, human and environmental health heard a wealth of information, including the following 11 points:


• The science behind the emergence, amplification, persistence and transfer of antibiotic resistance is highly complex and open to misinterpretation and misuse. If you think you understand antimicrobial resistance, it hasn't been explained properly.
• The extremely complex relationship between animal health, human health and environmental health is driven by two premises: 1) Antimicrobial resistance is a naturally occurring phenomenon that is present with or without the use of antimicrobials; and 2) Anytime an antibiotic enters the ecosystem, it contributes to the presence of antibiotic resistance.
• Antibiotic resistance is not just transferred from animals to humans; resistance is also transferred from humans to animals.
• Antibiotic resistance is not just a U.S. challenge; it's an international issue that requires a strategic global One Health approach.
• Evaluating antimicrobial resistance involves balancing risks vs. needs while constantly recognizing the importance of maintaining an efficacious arsenal of human antibiotics.
• New tools that address food animal infectious diseases must be developed, whether they are in the field of prevention or new molecules for therapeutics.
• Research studies and findings are often viewed through different lenses. Individuals can look at the same study and obtain different interpretation of the results and what the study infers based on their own biases.
• Decisions should be based on science, and policy should be based on science.  The question, however, is who decides what constitutes evidence that is considered when making those decisions and policies.
• Significant efforts are being led by the public health community to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in human health and reduce hospital-acquired infections. Agriculture needs to be open to change as well.
• Change will happen. Open dialogue must continue, with animal agriculture at the table or change will be drastic and by statute and will not be a deliberative policy change.

Antibiotic resistance in agricultural environments

Jean McLain, PhD, will present "Antibiotic Resistance in Agricultural Environments: A Call to Action," on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013 at 4:30 PM. The presentation is part of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America Annual Meetings, Nov. 3-7 in Tampa, Florida. The theme of this year's conference is "Water, Food, Energy, & Innovation for a Sustainable World". Members of the media receive complimentary registration to the joint meetings.
Antibiotic resistant pathogens are an emerging, critical human health issue. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared antibiotic resistance as a top health issue worldwide. Two million Americans are infected each year with diseases resistant to known antibiotics; between ten and fifteen thousand die.
Most people equate antibiotic resistance to the medical field. However, antibiotic resistance is also in our soils. And, the field of agriculture has been blamed for making this worse by using concentrated feed operations that leak antibiotics into surrounding waterways. In addition, municipal water treatment systems are unable to filter antibiotics, and are being studied for their impact on the development of resistance in the environment.
However, research shows that antibiotic resistance is a natural occurrence in our soils. Simplistically, bacteria and fungi living in soils have to compete for few food resources. Over millennia, some bacteria and fungi developed the ability to produce antibiotic chemicals in order to kill their competition. Because they produce these antibiotics, they are naturally immune to the effects of their own excretions.
Jean McLain's study in Arizona examined resistance levels to 16 antibiotics in bacteria isolated from riparian soils in a wetland that had been recharged with wastewater for over 30 years. Resistance was very high in isolated bacteria. But, when resistance levels were compared to bacteria isolated from sediments of a nearby pond with no exposure to wastewater, resistance was equally high for 7 of the antibiotics studied. Furthermore, resistance to 5 of the antibiotics found in low levels in the wastewater-treated soils was significantly higher in the soils exposed only to groundwater. This illustrates the need for considering natural, background resistance in soils in any scientific study examining the effects of antibiotics on the environment.
There currently is no set standard on measuring natural antibiotic resistance in soils. Knowing this baseline of antibiotic resistance is necessary for a complete picture of the problem. McLain and her colleagues have written a grant calling for worldwide experts in the field to meet and develop such standards. In her talk at the Annual Meetings, Dr. McLain will describe the various methods that could be used to measure natural background antibiotic resistance in soils and will deliver a "call to action" for all scientists currently studying antibiotic resistance.