news veterinary medicines

March 9, 2010 - Veterinarians stop using cephalosporins in poultry

Following the urging of the Poultry Health Working Group of the Royal Dutch Society for Veterinary Medicine (KNMvD) and veterinary experts, veterinarians have stopped prescribing cephalosporins – a group of antibiotics – to poultry. The reason for this change is increasing concerns about the incidence of Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) carrying bacteria among broiler chickens.

ESBL is a collective name for a group of enzymes produced by bacteria. These enzymes are capable of deactivating certain antibiotics. As the name indicates, these are the beta-lactam antibiotics. These include penicillins and cephalosporins.

The occurrence of ESBLs in animals is a public health risk. Cephalosporins are used in people with severe bacterial infections. This antibiotic is often used as a last resort in patients with multi-resistant bacteria. Restraint is therefore required for veterinary use. Additionally, there are no European regulations for maximal residue limits (MRL) for cephalosporins in poultry. The MRL is used to determine the withdrawal period for meat when antibiotics are used. All of these reasons contribute to the step taken by veterinarians.

Source: KNMvD 

Go back Overview »