Pediatric report reiterates antibiotic resistance concern

(WKBN) – A September 2024 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reiterates the connection between antibiotic use in animals and antibiotic resistance in children.

Lead authors of the report, Sophie E. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP, and Ritu Banerjee, M.D., Ph.D., FAAP, wrote that antimicrobial resistance is a global health threat that bacteria cause at least 2.8 million infections and more than 35,000 deaths, including in children.

More antimicrobials are used in agriculture than in humans, and a revised AAP report describes how the use of antibiotics in agriculture contributed to the development of resistance in children. It also discusses U.S. initiatives to curb the necessary use of antimicrobial agents in agriculture.

“The majority of antibiotic sales in the United States occur for use in farm animals, potentially selecting for emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens than can harm the health of all individuals, including children,” the authors wrote.

The report stated that while recent U.S. regulatory policies enacted to reduce nontherapeutic antibiotic use in farm animals have resulted in positive changes, additional regulatory efforts and oversight are required.

Since the last version of the report was published in 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)has issued guidance for industry that supports approaches to antibiotic stewardship by outlining appropriate antibiotic use in animals.

Guidance that took effect in 2023, requires veterinary prescriptions for all dosages of medically important drugs administered to both food-producing and non-food-producing animals.

The AAP recommends the following:

• To prevent foodborne illness, use proper hand hygiene when cooking or handling raw meat, after visiting petting zoos or farms, after handling pet food or treats and after contact with companion animals.
• To support antimicrobial stewardship in agriculture, consider purchasing animal products raised without exposure to nontherapeutic antibiotics and encourage institutional purchasing initiatives to follow similar measures.
• To encourage judicious use of antimicrobials in humans and animals, support policies that strengthen oversight of antimicrobial use and require tracking and reporting of antibiotic use and resistance across human, animal, plant and environmental sectors.

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