Regulation of antibiotic resistance in the US

Abstract

This paper provides a United States (US) perspective on the issue of antibiotic resistance as it pertains to the use of antibiotics in animals. A recent National Research Council (NRC, 1999) report concludes that drug residue issues are being effectively addressed in the US. The report also found that antibiotic use in food and animals is related to antibiotic resistance and the development of a set of diseases that exhibit resistance in humans. Although there is an urgent need to find alternatives to the use of antibiotics in animal production, an outright ban is unwarranted, and is likely to come down to a political issue. Scientific risk assessment, impact assessment, and a pragmatic recognition of existing conditions are important inputs in the political process.