A new report by the Ministry of Health found that strengthening the regulation and supervision of veterinary preparations is an important way to reduce the use of antibiotics in farm animals, which is one of the main causes of bacterial resistance to antibiotics
By Neta Nissim, Zwata - news agency for science and the environment
Almost a century ago, Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the first antibiotic ever developed. This discovery is one of the most important medical revolutions of the 20th century. Since then, many more types of antibiotic drugs have been developed, which have saved millions of people around the world, but today we already know that antibiotics are not a "miracle drug" and that their increased use has consequences that can be devastating. Over the years Bacteria have managed to develop resistance to antibiotic drugs different and thus gain immunity to handling them. This resistance can cause persistent infections and even infection of other people with strains of resistant bacteria.
According to The last report of the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2019, About 700 thousand people die every year around the world after being infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and this number is expected to soar to 10 million annually until 2050. According to the Ministry of Health's estimates, about 5,000 people die from resistant infections in Israel every year. In light of these numbers, bacterial resistance to antibiotics is one of the biggest challenges facing the health systems in Israel and the world today, in addition of course to the corona crisis that has accompanied us for the past year.
A new report by the Ministry of Health He found that strengthening the regulation and supervision of veterinary preparations is an important way To reduce the use of antibiotics in farm animals and is an integral part of the action plans of many countries in the world to deal with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in humans as well. The report also emphasizes the need to exercise similar judgment when using antibiotics in animals to that exercised by doctors who treat humans.
According to Dr. Tali Berman-Alfort, who wrote the new report as a colleague Interface program for the application of science in the government, in the Ministry of Health and currently doing her post-doctorate at the School of Zoology at Tel Aviv University "Veterinary preparations include not only antibiotics but all medicines intended for use in animals. In Israel, the Ministry of Health is the competent authority that supervises the licensing of veterinary preparations. However, the preparations in question do not include two groups: vaccines and disinfectants for external use. The approval of these preparations in Israel is the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture".
Animal-derived resistance
"The main factors in the development of bacterial resistance are the increased use and ill-informed use of antibiotics," says Berman-Alfort, "Increased use of antibiotics does indeed also exist among doctors in the community and in hospitals, but in fact most of the use occurs precisely during the treatment of farm animals."
Indeed, out of all the antibiotic substances sold in the world, about 73 percent Apricots for animals intended for food, mainly because among farm animals antibiotics are not used to treat diseases only, but to prevent infections as well as to stimulate growth in animals for food (use of these antibiotic drugs can lead to an increase of about 20-15 percent in the animal's weight).
"Resistant bacteria may pass from farm animals to humans through direct contact with infected animals, through the consumption of animal food and even through the consumption of agricultural produce that has been treated with animal manure," explains Berman-Alfort.
Israel does not yet have a national plan on the subject
In recent years, evidence has been accumulating that the widespread use of antibiotics in farm animals is responsible for the development of resistance in bacteria, which also harm humans, including E. coli bacteria, Salmonella and Campylobacter. These bacteria usually originate from animal food, which are transmitted to humans by preparing or eating food that has not been treated properly or by direct contact with the animals. According to the CDC, one in five resistant infections in humans originates from bacteria from contaminated food or from direct contact with animals, and the continued spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in humans and animals may worsen the dimensions of the danger.
Many countries restrict the use of antibiotics in farm animals. Thus, for example, the European Union already banned in 2006 the addition of antibiotics for the purpose of stimulating growth to the drinking water and food of farm animals. World Health Organization (WHO) It came out three years ago in a call to farmers Stop the prophylactic use of antibiotics in farm animals and publish a list of antibiotic drugs important to humans that should be avoided in farm animals so that resistance to them does not develop and spread.
In Israel, on the other hand, the use of growth promoters was banned and the prophylactic use of antibiotics was officially limited only in 2018 following the entry into force of The fodder law, which is intended to establish supervision arrangements for the production of animal food and its marketing, in order to protect public health and the health and well-being of animals.
However, apart from this, Israel has not yet formulated a national action plan to reduce the use of antibiotics and to deal with the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria in farm animals.
"Besides resistant bacteria, antibiotic residues may also be found in animal food products," says Berman-Alfort. "That's why the veterinary services are checking Regularly Residues in animal products (meat of all types, fish, eggs, milk and honey, n.n.) to identify trends in the incorrect or illegal use of antibiotics, and other substances, and to assess the extent of the public's exposure to these residues as a result of consuming animal food."
Adopt a "one health" model
Many countries in the world are currently promoting national action plans to deal with the development of bacterial resistance in a holistic approach of "one health", meaning the promotion of the health of both humans and animals. "These programs are mainly based on monitoring the consumption of antibiotics and resistant bacteria, limiting the use of antibiotics in livestock, improving the breeding conditions of farm animals, raising public awareness and promoting the wise use of antibiotics, strengthening the regulation and supervision of veterinary preparations and promoting alternative solutions such as vaccines," says Berman-Alport .
So far, these actions have led to impressive results: in the European Union, for example, there has been a 32 percent decrease in the sale of antibiotics intended for farm animals in recent years. also, Many studies It is demonstrated that awareness of the problem and the establishment of strict guidelines and rules lead to a decrease in the unnecessary use of antibiotics, and subsequently to a decrease in the development of resistant bacteria.
The new Berman-Alport report details recommendations for action at the policy level and in agricultural farms, and draws attention to the importance of regulation on the supply and consumption of antibiotics in livestock both by the importers and producers and by the veterinarian who writes the prescription, just as is the case for preparations intended for humans in the public medical systems.
Collect all the data
"There is an urgent need to collect data on the sale and consumption of antibiotics in the livestock sector in Israel, so that a more accurate risk assessment can be carried out," says Berman-Alfort. "In addition, a general system for monitoring resistant bacteria should also be established, which will increase the national preparedness capacity for this significant challenge." Today in Israel, the monitoring of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in farm animals is split between several bodies: most of it is carried out in the national centers at the Public Health Laboratory in Jerusalem, the Veterinary Institute, the Poultry Industry Council and the Dairy Council.
Berman-Alport adds, "One of the significant recommendations in the report is the creation of a body that will have the ability to look at the entirety of the data collected regarding the use of antibiotics and the development of bacterial resistance in the livestock industry in Israel. Nowadays it doesn't happen that much. Each body collects its own data and the cooperation between the bodies is not always simple. The ambition is to create a system that will collect the data regarding the administration of veterinary drugs to farm animals in general and antibiotics in particular, like the systems of our health insurance funds, and that will make it possible to issue an annual joint report."
"The main problem is that in Israel there is currently no data collection regarding consumption and use of antibiotics in farm animals. Yes, there is an important monitoring of resistant bacteria, but it is only partial. Without information about the amount and frequency of the use of antibiotic preparations in animals, it is difficult to say what the acuteness of the situation is," adds Berman-Alfort. "However, we do see high percentages of resistance of disease-causing bacteria originating from farm animals as a result of the use of antibiotics, and this resistance does not just happen. Proving the connection between the fact that antibiotics are used in animals and the development of resistance in bacteria in humans is not simple. That's why it's important to start doing regular follow-up both in humans through the organized systems of the health insurance funds, and through the development of a similar system for farm animals as well, as happens in other countries in the world, for example in Denmark and the Netherlands."
"It is important to strengthen the supervision of veterinary preparations, starting from the registration stage, through the supply of the preparations, and especially at the dispensing locations and at the farm level," stresses Berman-Alfort. "Only in this way will it be possible to reduce the use of antibiotics in farm animals and the time has come for Israel to join this campaign for the sake of public health."
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