Reckless farm meds feed superbugs
The overuse and abuse of antibiotics strengthens lethal, drug-resistant bacteria
The world was once a place where a bad cut to your h a n d me a n t i n f e c t i o n and the possibility of death and surgical procedures that are now routine were lifethreatening.
Poverty and poor healthcare infrastructure means this is still a reality in many parts of the world.
But even the future of wealthy countries could look a lot like the past. Medical experts and economists are warning that the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly to antibiotic drugs, could see as many as 10-million people die each year by 2050 and wipe out a cumulative $100-trillion in economic output.
These were the findings of a review on AMR, chaired by economist Jim O’Neill, famous for coining the term Bric with reference to the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China.
One of the key issues highlighted by the review was the unnecessary use of antibiotics in agriculture, which is unmonitored in many countries. The drugs used to treat animals and also to promote their growth are often important for human health.
In the United States, about 70% of antibiotics classed as medically important to humans are sold for use in animals, according to the review.
The inappropriate use of antibiotics is dangerous for both human and animal health because it is one of the factors driving AMR. It also has serious implications for food security and farmers’ economic wellbeing.
The estimates of global antibiotic consumption in agriculture vary considerably because of poor surveillance and data collection in many countries.
Figures range from 63 000 tonnes each year to more than 240 000 tonnes. But the review notes it is clear that use is widespread, on a scale “at least equivalent to humans”, and will rise.
The review cited estimates that the use of antibiotics in agriculture will rise by 67% between 2010 and 2030, and, in the Brics countries (including South Africa), it will increase by 99%.
The use of antibiotics to promote growth is a particular concern, with the report recommending the introduction of targets that will allow countries to decide how they can best reduce unnecessary use in farming.
In South Africa, there is little data available on the extent of antibiotic use in the production of pork, beef and poultry. Medical and veterinary experts believe that South Africa’s use reflects global trends.
According to Professor Moritz van Vuuren, a veterinary microbiologist in the faculty of veterinary sciences at the University of Pretoria, antibiotics are used for treating disease, preventing its spread and for growth promotion, with about 80% of antibiotics sold mixed into animal feed and water. About 20% are administered topically or by injection.
Of the 80% antibiotics mixed into feed and water, it is not clear how much is used for growth promotion.
“That kind of surveillance needs to be done in the future,” said Van