WASHINGTON – Sometimes Dar Geiss needs antibiotics to treat the cattle on his ranch in central Minnesota. Soon, he will have to go through a more encumbered procedure to get those drugs.
A new Food and Drug Administration program aimed at lowering the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria dramatically changes the application and delivery of dozens of infection-fighting drugs to cattle, hog, turkey and chicken producers across the country.
The new policy no longer allows certain antibiotics to be used as growth supplements in animal feed and drinking water — or to be sold over the counter. Instead, many antibiotics that are medically important to humans as well as animals will be relabeled for therapeutic use only, and their distribution will be overseen by veterinarians.
The changes follow years of controversy and debate and is expected to affect livestock producers across Minnesota who collectively bring tens of millions of animals to market each year. Minnesota is the nation's largest turkey producer and one of the top five states for hog production.
"Some products may or may not stay available for use," Dave Preisler, executive director of the Minnesota Pork Producers Association. "You will not be able to go to Fleet Farm and purchase products as you can now."
The use of antibiotic feed to increase animal growth "is not something we practice every day," said Geiss, president of the Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association. But, he added, the purchase and use of antibiotics under the new program will be "a big switch from nutrition companies to vet oversight."
FDA officials say the changes are part of an ongoing effort to curb an increase in bacteria that can withstand antibiotic treatment and cause people to remain sick. The FDA has asked makers of animal pharmaceuticals to participate voluntarily for now, but could make regulations mandatory if too few animal drugmakers participate.
"Many factors contribute to the emerging resistance in bacteria," said Dr. Bill Flynn, an FDA veterinarian. "They include all uses in animals and humans."