New York Times (01/04/12) Harris, Gardiner
The FDA recently placed restrictions on the use of the cephalosporin class of antibiotics in animal agriculture, as their use has, microbiologists claim, contributed to the development of antibiotic-resistance bacteria. The cephalosporin class of antibiotics is widely used by pediatricians, surgeons and to treat a variety of issues such as pneumonia and urinary tract infections. With the rise of antibiotics, use was indiscriminate and such things as penicillin and tetracycline were often added in bulk to animal feed without being used to treat sickness as they improved 'robustness.' Since the 1970s the FDA has been working to move the animal agriculture industry away from antibiotic use, but it still continues heavily, and outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become more frequent and severe. Use of the fluoroquinolones class has already been banned by the FDA and the new rule, though less strict than when originally proposed, begins restrictions on some antibiotic uses, while permitting others. An in-progress guideline on the use of penicillin and tetracycline could move the FDA nearer to banning their uses as growth promoters and illness preventives in unsanitary living conditions, a highly controversial issue.

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