Yesterday, the FDA announced a new program that has the potential to slash the routine use of antibiotics by livestock producers. The routine administration of antibiotics to livestock with no signs of sickness helps animals grow more quickly, but it's also a significant contributor to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. An estimated 70% of the antibiotics sold in the US are given to non-human animals, and most of them are the same drugs that humans rely on to treat our illnesses.
Gardiner Harris's New York Times article about FDA's announcement bears the exciting (to me, anyway) headline "US Tightens Rules on Antibiotics Use for Livestock," but FDA's press release strikes a less dramatic note, announcing, "FDA takes steps to protect public health: Agency working with animal, drug and medical communities to promote judicious antimicrobial use." And here's the agency's description of what it's doing:
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