Stammler/Greens: Antibiotic resistance is being fought more intensively in agriculture

2023-07-06 08:10:18

Today the new Veterinary Drugs Act is being examined

Vienna (OTS) – “If antibiotics no longer work, we have a big problem – in the treatment of sick people and animals alike. And that is already the case. We must therefore act quickly to prevent further resistance as far as possible. This is the only way we can keep the treatment options for diseases,” says Clemens Stammler, agriculture spokesman for the Greens, and states: “Therefore, we have taken measures in the new Medicines Act to use antibiotics more specifically and thus in smaller quantities. This reduces the risk of further resistance.”

Monitoring is provided for in the law. Companies that exceed certain threshold values can then be prescribed measures. These range from mandatory advice and training to specific management requirements and – if all else fails – inventory reduction. “It has to be about avoiding diseases as much as possible. With advice and training, we strengthen prevention in the companies. I’m sure the farmers will benefit from this – nobody likes having sick animals in the barn,” emphasizes Stammler.

Antibiograms are another important improvement in the law: they are used to determine the pathogens and possible resistance in the laboratory. These must now be carried out in certain cases – for example when using some critical antibiotics. “So-called critical antibiotics are often the last treatment option when there are already numerous resistances. To keep them effective for as long as possible, we need to use them as little as possible. We take care of this in a first step with the antibiograms – and for this we need the cohesion of all farmers. Only together can we maintain this last reserve for the treatment of our animals,” says Stammler.