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Antimicrobial Use and Antimicrobial Resistance
Updated October 5, 2010

Healthy animals make healthy food, and veterinarians are on the frontlines when it comes to keeping our nation's food supply safe. Antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance are hot issues in the news right now, and there's a lot of confusion and misinformation in the media and on the Internet. Advances in animal health care and management have greatly improved food safety over the years and have reduced the need for antimicrobials in food production systems. Nevertheless, antimicrobials are an important part of the veterinarian's toolkit, and veterinarians agree that they should be used judiciously and in the best interest of animal health and public health.

Resources about antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance

AVMA resources

• Antimicrobial Use Task Force Report – Executive Summary
• Antimicrobial Use Task Force Report – Full Report (PDF)
• Antimicrobial fact sheet for veterinarians
• Frequently Asked Questions about antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance
• Issue brief: H.R. 1549/S. 619 Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act
• Issue brief: H.R. 2400 Strategies to Address Antimicrobial Resistance (STAAR) Act
• Executive summary of the AVMA response to the final report of the Pew Commission on industrial farm animal production
• Video: Dr. Ron DeHaven, AVMA CEO, responds to Pew Report on Industrial Farming
• Podcast: Antimicrobial resistance and you
• Podcast: Cause for concern: responding to the Pew Report
• Podcast: Keeping livestock healthy
• Podcast: Antimicrobial resistance - assessing the risk
• House may consider resolutions on antimicrobial use (JAVMA News, July 15, 2010)
• AVMA says Pew Commission report is flawed, unscientific (JAVMA News, September 1, 2009)
• AVMA responds to FDA Draft Guidance #209 – Judicious Use of Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs
• AVMA responds to FDA Docket No. FDA-2008-N-0326, Extralabel Use of Cephalosporins in Food-Producing Animals
• Congressional testimony: AVMA assistant director testimony concerning antibiotic resistance and the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture (Dr. Christine Hoang, July 14, 2010)
• Congressional testimony: AVMA assistant director testimony on advancements of animal health within the livestock industry (Dr. Christine Hoang, September 25, 2008)
• Congressional testimony: AVMA assistant executive vice president testimony on antimicrobial resistance (Dr. Lyle P. Vogel, June 24, 2008)
       Executive Summary of Testimony

AVMA policy

• Aminoglycosides
• AVMA strategy regarding antimicrobial-resistant bacteria
• American Association of Avian Pathologists Guidelines to Judicious Therapeutic Use of Antimicrobials in Poultry
• American Association of Bovine Practitioners prudent drug usage guidelines for cattle
• American Association of Equine Practitioners prudent drug usage guidelines
• American Association of Feline Practitioners/American Animal Hospital Association basic guidelines of judicious therapeutic use of antimicrobials
• American Association of Swine Veterinarians basic guidelines of judicious therapeutic use of antimicrobials in pork production
• Antimicrobials in livestock feeds
• Approval and availability of antimicrobials for use in food producing animals
• Aquatic animal therapeutic agents
• Extralabel use of veterinary feed directive drugs for minor species
• Fluoroquinolones
• Food safety
• Judicious therapeutic use of antimicrobials
• Judicious use of antimicrobials for treatment of aquatic animals by veterinarians
• Limited prohibition on extralabel drug use
• National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS)
• Support for FARAD Program
• The Role of the Veterinarian in Animal Antimicrobial Use
• Veterinary Foresight and Expertise in Antimicrobial Discussions
• Withdrawal of FDA approval for animal drug products

Federal resources

• NARMS
• FoodNet – Foodborne Disease Active Surveillance Network
• FDA issues draft guidance on the judicious use of medically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals (FDA press release, June 28, 2010)
• FDA Federal Register Notice about draft guidance on the judicious use of medically important antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals, including comment period
• FDA draft guidance: The judicious use of medically important antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals
• FDA Questions and answers on FDA's draft guidance on the judicious use of medically important antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals
• FDA's antimicrobial resistance page

International resources

• Danish Integrated Antimicrobial resistance Monitoring and Research Programme (DANMAP)
• Monitoring of Antimicrobial Resistance and Antibiotic Usage in Animals in the Netherlands (MARAN)

Other resources

• Food Animal Residue Avoidance Database (FARAD)