‘Irrational use of antibiotics risk to human, animal health’

New Delhi

Irrational use of antibiotics among humans and animals is going to put them in quandary and human health in particular at stake, experts and scientists said here today.

Speaking in a meeting, organised by Center for Science and Environment, various subject experts discussed issues related to large-scale use of antibiotics in animal farm industry for growth promotion and disease prevention and how the overall consumption of antibiotics in India is increasing.

“The concern of drug resistance is uppermost. We need to preserve the existing antibiotics since we cannot afford the new expensive molecules whenever they come. It is more relevant for us than other nations to preserve the current antibiotics. The irrational use of antibiotics in human and animal use is going to put us in a huge quandary, and human health in particular is at stake,” said Dr Chand Wattal, senior consultant, department of microbiology at Ganga Ram Hospital Delhi.

The meeting saw participation from government and private sector including scientists, medical doctors like urologist, neonatologists, gastroenterologists, microbiologists and pharmacologist, veterinarians and public health and environmental experts.

Recognising the practice of non-therapeutic use by poultry farmers, Prof N K Mahajan of Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar said, “Judicious use of antibiotics will be in the interest of poultry farmers because they themselves are facing the problem. They keep on complaining that antibiotics are not working and keep on using more and more antibiotics.”

“Farmers are unaware and need to be educated on biosecurity measures. Use of antibiotics in feed can be regulated through the Drug control department,” he said.

PTI