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Pork producers support advisory panel’s recommendations

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The chief veterinarian of the National Pork Producers Council says the organization is pleased with the recommendations issued by the White House advisory panel to address antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Liz Wagstrom says the Presidential Advisory Council on Combatting Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria suggested an all-inclusive approach that looks at the resistance issue from a human, animal and environmental prospective.

She says the first big step is to fully implement the FDA’s guidances for antibiotic use.  Wagstrom says pork producers have already started to do their part to tackle the problem.  “By the end of this year pork producers and all food animal producers will no longer be able to use medically important antibiotics for growth promotion,” she says.  “And then, any disease prevention, control, and treatment uses of those same antibiotics will need to be under veterinary oversight.”

She tells Brownfield it is important for the industry to take the suggested steps seriously and livestock producers can no longer say they aren’t part of the problem.  “Whether we’re a small part of a problem or a big part of a problem, we need to within the agricultural industry do everything we can to protect and preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics,” she says.  “And expect they will also do the same in human medicine.”

Wagstrom says one of the issues addressed in the report is that equal funding isn’t available for human and animal surveillance and research.

She says the advisory committee says that needs to change and both the USDA and the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine need more access to funding.

AUDIO: Liz Wagstrom, chief veterinarian, National Pork Producers Council

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