From: Henney, Jane
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2001 12:49 PM
To: EXECSEC
Subject: FW: End Use of Human Antibiotics in Livestock Feed



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From:   candetwo@coastalnet.com[SMTP:CANDETWO@COASTALNET.COM]
Sent:   Wednesday, January 10, 2001 12:46:48 PM
To:     jhenney@oc.fda.gov
Cc:     candetwo@coastalnet.com
Subject:        End Use of Human Antibiotics in Livestock Feed
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Carroll Webber
610 S. Elm St.
Greenville, NC 27858
candetwo@coastalnet.com

Dear Dr. Henney, 
This letter I'm writing in support of Petition 99P-0485, which urges you to ban medically useful antibiotics from livestock feed, with rare exceptions for open range cattle ranchers. 

As you must know, livestock producers have been feeding human antibiotics to hogs, cows, and poultry to speed their growth or counteract the effects of crowded living conditions and poor hygiene. In fact, about one third of the antibiotics manufactured in the United States each year ends up in animal feed. Mounting evidence shows conclusively that the overuse of antibiotics for livestock makes them less effective for humans, sometimes totally ineffective as surviving bacteria come to dominate the microbe population. 

Scientists, health organizations and governments around the world are urging that antibiotics not be squandered on fattening livestock. The World Health Organization recommended that antibiotics used to treat humans not be used to promote animal growth. The GAO reported that "research has linked three diseases with antibiotic-resistant strains affecting humans to the use of antibiotics in animals;" and the European Union has already banned human antibiotics in animal feed. 

I urge you not to allow a human antibiotic to be used in livestock feed, other than rare cases where range cattle are seriously threatened and no viable alternative exists. Please tell me how you plan to address this growing danger to our health. 

Sincerely, 



Carroll Webber