BVA welcomes new FVE guidance on responsible antibiotic use

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has welcomed the publication of new leaflets from the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) offering guidance on responsible antimicrobial use.

Designed to be short and easy to read, the leaflets summarise crucial guidance on the need to use antibiotic products sparingly and intelligently, or else risk these therapies gradually becoming defunct due to the development of antimicrobial resistance.

The news comes as the industry prepares for the publication of European Commission proposals on a new regulation for veterinary medicines.

Attendees at the forthcoming BVA Congress in Liverpool will be able to debate the issue further from both a veterinary and public health perspective.

Peter Harlech Jones, president-elect of the BVA, said: "Antibiotics are a vital tool in our armoury to combat animal diseases and the veterinary profession must ensure they are used prudently and responsibly if we are to avoid a crisis."

Last month, the BVA issued a warning to UK vets that the dangerous Schmallenberg virus is currently circulating among livestock throughout the country.