U.S. Veterinarian’s Views On Use Of Antibiotics On Stock

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28154, 18 December 1956, Page 20

U.S. Veterinarian’s Views On Use Of Antibiotics On Stock

(New Zealand Association.)

WELLINGTON, December 17. If antibiotics were not used excessively in egg-producing poultry and in cows, the chances of passing on to humans bacteria resistant to antibiotics were theoretical rather than factual, said the manager of/ the veterinary department of one of America’s big drug-making firms. He is Dr. Carl E. E. Bunn, who is at Wellington on his way to the United States after visitins th*> Far East and Australia.

Many antibiotics were used for mastitis treatment in cows. Improperly used, they might cause difficulty, he said. “But I have never been concerned about the development of resistant bacteria that might be passed on to humans through dairy products.” said Dr. Bunn. “Theoretically, many practitioners believe it occurs, but to the best of my knowledge, it has never been factually proved.” He considered that antibiotics had their place in the feed of poultry and swine for the table. They stimulated growth in the young. But he did not recommend their continuous use for poultry producing eggs. Antibiotics should be used only as long as was necessary to correct a specific con-

dition—used at a high level—and then stopped. A high level of use for. say, three days rather than continuous use was recommended if the hens were for laying. For table birds, a low level of antibiotics in the feed could be used with complete safety to humans. Similarly swine could tolerate a low level of antibiotics in their feed because any possible transmission of resistant bacteria would be stopped completely with the sterilisation of cooking heats said Dr. Bunn. In Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong. Thailand, Singapore, and Australia he had been impressed with the standard of animal husbandry. In the Eastern countries intensive culti-, vation was developing apace, with the; Food and Agricultural Organisation; of the United Nations doing an ex- - cellent job Dr. Bunn praised also the standard I of veterinary education, services, and research in those countries. Agricul-! tural scientists there were doing ; work as good as that done by scien-l tists in the United States, if not better.