German One Health Scientists say ‘No Evidence Blanket Ban on Reserve Antibiotics in Animal Health Care Would Have Lasting Effect on AMR in Humans’

09/09/21

High-profile scientists from the German Research Network for Zoonotic Infectious Diseases have made a public statement on the Motion for a Resolution proposed by MEP Hauesling to reject the Commission Delegated Regulation to establish criteria for the designation of antimicrobials to be reserved for the treatment of certain infections in humans.
The statement, originally in German, points to the fact that the number of approved antibiotic substances in veterinary vs. human medicine is already significantly lower (124 vs. 296), and that 75% of the loss of human life to AMR is caused by behaviour in human health care. It also referred to reported reductions in amounts of antibiotics prescribed by German veterinarians, including the high priority classes. The statement concludes that there is no evidence as to whether a blanket ban of the use of certain priority antibiotics would have any impact on the development of AMR in people.
See full statement in German

Full concluding remarks (English Translation)

The objection to the Delegated Act does not sufficiently consider that there is so far little reliable evidence of the impact on resistance development (AMR) in people following the prohibition of the use of “reserve antibiotics” in animal husbandry.
Available scientific evidence shows that the AMR problem can only be solved in a One Health approach. For this reason, the scientists advocate for avoiding the use of antimicrobials that are particularly important for human medicine in animals, and for measures that are suitable for limiting their use.
However, there is currently no evidence as to whether a blanket ban on the use of drugs containing the active ingredient groups fluoroquinolones, 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins, polypeptides and macrolides in animals would have a substantial and lasting effect on the occurrence of resistance in human medicine.