A recent ban by the United States Food and Drug Administration on the use of a poultry antibiotic made by Bayer shouldn’t affect use of the drug on this side of the border.
The drug known as Baytril has as its main ingredient enrofloxacin. It is a member of the newest, most potent family of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones, which doctors also use to treat serious infections in people.
The drug was sometimes used by U.S. farmers to treat flocks of poultry.
Health officials argue that widespread use of the drug by livestock producers was one reason that more germs were becoming resistant to other fluoroquinolones. People could pick up these drug-resistant bacteria when they ate or handled contaminated meat, potentially leading to serious problems to human health.
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The use of antimicrobials in livestock animals and the resistance that can develop in human pathogens are not well linked, said Chris Clark, assistant professor of large animal clinical sciences at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon.
“It’s always been postulated as being a possible thing, so people have discussed it at great length. There
really is not overwhelming evidence at this stage that it is a real problem. But it is a concern.”
Tracy Ward, field veterinarian for the animal health division of Bayer Healthcare, said there are various formulations of Baytril, and the type used for poultry in the U.S. is not licensed in Canada.
The Baytril formula of concern is approved for use in dogs and cats in this country. As well, there is a formulation approved for cattle, specifically for Bovine Respiratory Disease, or BRD, in cases where initial treatments have failed.
“The FDA decision certainly caused some mild concern, but that species indication is not approved in Canada, and it’s a very different situation on the cattle side,” Ward said.
The cattle product has only been available in Canada for about a year, and is available by prescription only through a veterinarian. Ward said the drug is not advertised to farmers and is only used in specific cases of BRD.
“We have prudent use guidelines that encourage responsible use of antibiotics on the recommendation of a veterinarian.”
She said studies into veterinary use of the drug and human resistance to the same family of antibiotics are ongoing in other countries, and so far none has shown a link.
