JETACAR Report released
On October 22 the final report on "The Use of Antibiotics in Food Producing Animals: Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Animals and Humans" was released. The full report can be downloaded from the Health Department site. Download the PDF file here.
During 1998 the Minister for Health and Aged Care and the Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry established the Joint Expert Technical Advisory Committee on Antibiotic Resistance (JETACAR).
The committee was comprised of experts from the areas of human health, veterinary medicine and animal production. It was asked to assess the scientific evidence of links between the use of antibiotics in food producing animals, the emergence and selection of antibiotic resistant bacteria and their spread to humans, as well as recommending future risk management strategies.
The committee came up with 22 recommendations that fall into the following categories:
- Regulatory controls aimed at ensuring responsible and prudent use of antibiotics in humans and food producing animals
- Monitoring and surveillance of the use of antibiotics and the change in antibiotic resistance patterns
- Infection prevention strategies and hygiene measures to reduce the need for antibiotics
- Education, including codes of practice for the prudent use of antibiotics
- Further research into antibiotic use and alternatives to antibiotics.
The committee has noted that animal industries should not be economically disadvantage by the sudden removal or severe limitation of veterinary products that are of importance to production.
Certain products will be phased out if they do not fulfil recommended criteria or fail to pass review.
Click here to view the rest of the 1999 November newsletter.