UK sales of antibiotics for animals drop to record low

The government has welcomed new data showing that sales of antibiotics for use in animals in the UK have dropped to a record low.

Figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have shown that sales of antibiotics for use in food-producing animals dropped by 27 percent between 2014 and 2016, from 62 mg/kg to 45mg/kg. This marked the lowest level since records began.

It means that the government target of 50 mg/kg, set following recommendations in the 2016 O'Neill Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, has been surpassed two years ahead of schedule.

Additionally, sales of the highest-priority antibiotics considered critically important for human health have also dropped, accounting for less than one percent of all antibiotics sold for use in animals in 2016.

This highlights the success of government efforts to encourage more responsible use of antibiotics within the farming industry and veterinary profession, in order to safeguard their effectiveness for the future.

Nigel Gibbens, the UK's chief veterinary officer, said: "Tackling antibiotic resistance requires a commitment across all areas of animal health, together with work on human use by colleagues in the medical professions, and our work together to tackle the issue at global level."

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