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A pig farm: Organizations are calling for reserve antibiotics to be banned in industrial animal husbandry
Photo: Marius Schwarz / imago images
On the occasion of the European Antibiotic Day, numerous organizations have called for stricter rules for drugs in animal husbandry.
According to a statement in which Greenpeace, Germanwatch, Deutsche Umwelthilfe and the Federation of German Consumer Organizations participated, reserve antibiotics are to be banned from industrial animal husbandry in order to prevent the development of resistant pathogens.
So-called reserve antibiotics are usually used for infectious diseases for humans, when normal antibiotics no longer work.
The reserve antibiotics should be used as rarely as possible in order not to endanger their effectiveness through developing resistances.
The more an antibiotic is used, the more likely resistant pathogen subtypes will prevail.
The problem: Antibiotics are used in livestock farming in Europe for prophylaxis and in other countries even to increase growth, which increases the risk that resistant germs can form.
Such antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes can also be transmitted between humans and animals.
According to a study from 2019, three times more antibiotics and similar drugs are used in animal fattening than in human medicine.
The large and increasing use is, among other things, a direct consequence of the growing meat consumption.
EU speaks of a "silent pandemic"
The consequences can be felt globally, the EU Commission is already talking about a "silent pandemic".
According to this, 700,000 people die every year worldwide because of antibiotic resistance.
There are 33,000 people in the EU.
If nothing changes, expect ten million deaths by 2050.
"Above all, the problem of antibiotic resistance must be resolved politically," said SPD politician Tiemo Wölken in a press release.
Most recently, the Greens in the European Parliament failed to enforce stricter rules for the antibiotic treatment of animals.
The proposals had sparked protests at the Association of Practicing Veterinarians, which launched a signature campaign against the plans.
hba / dpa