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Table 3 Recommendations on the use of medically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals

From: World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on use of medically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals

Recommendations

1

The GDG recommends an overall reduction in use of all classes of medically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals.

2

The GDG recommends complete restriction of use of all classes of medically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals for growth promotion.

3

The GDG recommends complete restriction of use of all classes of medically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals for prevention of infectious diseases that have not yet been clinically diagnosed.

Specific considerations: when a veterinary professional judges that there is a high risk of spread of a particular infectious disease, use of antimicrobials for disease prevention is justified, if such a judgement is made on the basis of recent culture and sensitivity testing results.

4

a – The GDG suggests that antimicrobials classified as critically important for human medicine should not be used for control of the dissemination of a clinically diagnosed infectious disease identified within a group of food-producing animals.

b – The GDG suggests that antimicrobials classified as highest priority critically important for human medicine should not be used for treatment of food-producing animals with a clinically diagnosed infectious disease.

To prevent harm to animal health and welfare, exceptions to recommendations 4a and 4b can be made when, in the judgment of veterinary professionals, bacterial culture and sensitivity results demonstrate that the selected drug is the only treatment option.