In many countries, including United States, antibiotics are routinely
added to feed, even to perfectly healthy animals, to make livestock
grow faster and fatter. The practice can breed drug-resistant
bacteria, which may infect people who eat contaminated meat or food
or water tainted by the animals' droppings.

A new WHO report recently come out, at an inconvenient time for makers
of animal drugs. An Antibiotic Legislation Bill was introduced in the
U.S. Senate July 28, 2003 seeking to introduce a ban in United States.

To fight the bill, a "Coalition for Animal Health" has been formed
by American Feed Industry Association, American Veterinary Medical
Association, Animal Health Institute, National Cattlemen’s Beef
Association, National Chicken Council, National Pork Producers
Council, National Turkey Federation and United Egg Producers.

In a comment to the new WHO report Dr. Richard Carnevale, a vice
president at the Animal Health Institute, a trade group of animal
drugs makers, said it didn't make "a compelling case that there will
be a big improvement in human health". He also said, that if -he- was
a government regulator -he- would say to -himself-: "Should I get my
own animal industry into problems if I don't see a medical benefit on
the other side?".

Denmark, a major pork and poultry producer and exporter, banned all
use of antimicrobial growth promoters in 1999. The new WHO report
by an international panel of experts in veterinary medicine and
infectious disease looked into "the Danish Experiment". The report
concludes that the ban in Denmark has had "no serious negative
effects" and that "other countries should re-examine their policies
concerning antimicrobial use for disease prophylaxis in light of
Denmark’s experience."

The full WHO report is at:
http://www.who.int/salmsurv/en/Exper...terdenmark.pdf