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Does antibiotic use in farmed animals pose a risk to human health? — No

Stephen W Page
Med J Aust 2012; 196 (5): . || doi: 10.5694/mja12.10364
Published online: 19 March 2012

Veterinary pharmacologist Stephen Page believes that antibiotic use in animals benefits human and animal health

While antibiotic use in livestock has the potential to cause harm to human health, the likelihood of harm arising from the use of antibiotics under current Australian practices is highly unlikely.


  • Advanced Veterinary Therapeutics, Sydney, NSW.


Correspondence: swp@advet.com.au

Competing interests:

I eat meat. I have lectured to veterinary students; have been an invited speaker at international meetings; and have provided consultation on antimicrobial use and resistance to the Australian Veterinary Association, the Australian Chicken Meat Federation, pharmaceutical companies (including MSD Animal Health and Phibro Animal Health), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Organisation for Animal Health.

  • 1. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. National Residue Survey. http://www.daff.gov.au/agriculture-food/nrs (accessed Feb 2012).
  • 2. Jordan D, Chin JJC, Fahy VA, et al. Antimicrobial use in the Australian pig industry: results of a national survey. Aust Vet J 2009; 87: 222-229.
  • 3. Expert Advisory Group on Antimicrobial Resistance. EAGAR importance ratings and summary of antibiotic uses in humans in Australia. Canberra: National Health and Medical Research Council, 2006.
  • 4. Department of Health and Ageing. Australia’s food supply gets clean bill of health [press release]. 28 Feb 2003. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-mediarel-yr2003-tw-tw03044.htm (accessed Mar 2012).
  • 5. DANMAP 2010 — use of antimicrobial agents and occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria from food animals, food and humans in Denmark. Copenhagen: Danish Integrated Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring and Research Programme, 2011. http://www.danmap.org/Downloads/Reports.aspx (accessed Mar 2012).

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