This is increasing the risk that diseases and infections will develop resistance that renders the antimicrobials useless. It is of great concern for human health.
The organization reported that:
Almost 20 per cent per cent of members still report using antimicrobials for growth promotion. Of these, it is estimated that 76 per cent have not carried out any preliminary risk analysis.
No less than 11 per cent of WOAH members still use as growth promoters at least one of the highest priority critically important antimicrobials for human medicine such as colistin.
At least 50 per cent of the members using antimicrobials as growth promoters have no regulatory framework in place.
In some countries, the labeling of certain feed additives intended to increase productivity does not mention the presence of low doses of antimicrobials, which are then unknowingly administered to animals by veterinarians and farmers.
"WOAH standards make a clear distinction between veterinary medical use of antimicrobials – which is limited to the treatment, control and, where appropriate, prevention of infectious diseases – and non-veterinary medical use," the organization said in a release.
"The administration of antimicrobials for growth promotion in animals is a non-veterinary medical use, and it must not be assimilated to disease prevention use, which requires animals to be at proven risk of disease if the medicine is not administered."
