FDA report shows that the sale of antibiotics used in food-producing animals declined by 33 percent between 2016 and 2017

A new FDA report shows that the sale of antibiotics used in food-producing animals declined by 33 percent between 2016 and 2017, signaling a significant advancement in efforts to reduce the spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in humans. The 2017 Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-Producing Animals also reported a decline of 41 percent in the domestic sales and distribution of antibiotics for use in animals since 2015. The latest figures are 28 percent below the data for 2009, when the first sales/distribution report was issued. The results indicate that efforts to support antimicrobial stewardship are having what FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb called “a significant impact” on limiting antimicrobial-resistant infections among humans.