Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
In the US, antibiotic sales increased by 20% in four years The volume of antibiotics used in food-producing animals in the US, whether as growth promoters or for therapeutic use, has not shown a single dip in four years. Three quarters of these antibiotics are administered in feed. And in the overwhelming majority of cases, a veterinary prescription is not required. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published its report on antimicrobials sold for use in food-producing animals in the US in 2013, and on the evolution since 2009. A steady rise over four years From a European viewpoint, the figures, presented in tons (around 10,000 tons of active substances, ionophores excluded) are somewhat worrying. In four years, no drop in antibiotic sales has been observed. Worse, they continued a steady increase, reaching +20% in four years – even though the rise was slightly lower (around 3-4%) in 2013 than in the preceding years. A major drop expected by end 2016 However, the announced ban on antibiotic growth promoters, to enter into force end 2016 at the latest, is expected to bring down the tonnage for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016. The FDA published sales figures of antibiotics expressed in volumes (kg) for food producing animals, which is not an index of exposure. The report does not take into account the weight of the total animal biomass or the number of animals present in 2013. Nor do the figures take into account the dosage regimens, which vary from several mg/kg in a single injection to several hundreds of mg/kg per day for several days or months in the feed. 95 % of the tonnage per os 95% of the volume is intended for oral use: three quarters in feed and one fifth in drinking water (see figures 1 and 1bis). Administration in the feed is the only route for which the tonnages increased in 2013 (+10%). Although drinking water is the route that increased most in four years (+30%), it dropped by 10% between 2012 and 2013. Figures 1 and 1 bis. Volumes according to the mode of administration Intramammaries: a sharp drop In contrast to oral administration, all other routes have decreased substantially. Injectable antibiotics dropped by 15% in two years, but only represent 4% of the total volume. Even more surprising, the (relatively small) volumes of intramammary antibiotics decreased by a factor 2.6 between 2012 and 2013. Did the incidence of mastitis also decrease by a factor 3? Or are the new mastitis treatments more efficient in terms of kg active substances? 97 % without prescription In the USA, nearly the entire tonnage of antibiotics (97-98%) can be sold without veterinary prescription (see figures 2 and 2bis). However, regarding the remaining 2-3% of volumes, sold on prescription, increased even more (+25-30% in four years) than those sold without prescription (+20%). Nevertheless, a 10% drop was observed between 2012 and 2013 for antibiotics on prescription, while in the same period, those without prescription increased by 4%. Figures 2 and 2 bis. Tonnages according to the legal category Antibiotic growth factors In the US, antibiotics are all registered medicines approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, the FDA allows antibiotics to be used either for the treatment of infectious diseases or as growth factor for use in healthy food-producing animals. The majority (75%) of the tonnage of antibiotics has a “mixed” indication, both zootechnical (performance) and therapeutic. In four years, all antibiotics increased by 20%, whether or not they are intended for therapeutic use or approved as growth factor. Nevertheless, in four years, the antibiotics reserved for therapeutic use decreased by 10% between 2012 and 2013, while an increase was observed during the same period for mixed use. Figures 3 and 3 bis. Tonnage by type of use Announced withdrawal on growth promoters Since early 2014, the FDA and the pharmaceutical companies are committed to the voluntary withdrawal of growth promoters in feed over a three-year period, or by the end of 2016 at the latest. 283 premixes are concerned by the withdrawal of this indication. All antibiotics that remain on the US market will be reclassified ‘on veterinary prescription’. These decisions are likely to lead to an important decrease of antibiotics sold in the USA in the years 2014, 2015 and 2016. The weight of tetracyclines The weight of tetracyclines represents two thirds of the tonnage (>6,500 tonnes). They are mainly used in the feed (>4,500 tonnes) and drinking water (600 tonnes). Their volume has seen a steady growth of +24% in four years and nearly +10% in a year. The ‘medically unimportant’ antibiotics (e.g. pleuromutilins, polypeptides...) represent just over 10% of the tonnage. Their sales remain stable. The penicillins (e.g. amoxicillin) represent 8% of the volume with a sharp increase over 4 years (+20%) but also an important drop (-14%) between 2012 and 2013 (-14%). Macrolides (5.4% of the volume) have been relatively steady over the four years, with a sharp decrease last year (-9%). Lincosamides (2.3%) beat the record of growth in tonnes in 4 years: +153%. Cephalosporins (0.3%) also increased, by +41% in four years and +2.5% in 2013 alone. Most other categories showed an average 20-25% growth in tonnage in four years. Only sulfonamides (3.7% of tonnage) dropped sharply by 24 over 4 years. Source: FDA Annual Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed in 2013 for Use in Food-Producing Animals. http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/newsevents/cvmupdates/ucm440585.htm Table. Main results on the sales of antibiotics in the US for 2013. Source: FDA