From: StuFlash@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2001 1:35 PM
To: EXECSEC
Subject: Antibiotic use in agriculture
I am writing to express my concern over the potential effects of the 
extensive use of antibiotics in animal feeds.  As you are, I'm sure, aware, 
agribusiness currently uses large amounts of antibiotics as components of 
livestock feeds.  They do this because the evidence indicates that adding 
antibiotics results in increased weight gain by the animals, and hence more 
profit for the producer.  However, this practice is creating a serious risk 
to human health & safety. 

As I am sure you are also aware, the prevalence of antibiotic resistance 
among human pathogens has increased dramatically in recent years.  While 
there are probably a number of other factors involved, such as overuse of 
antibiotics on human patients, the extensive use of antibiotics in 
agriculture must be considered a prime suspect. 

I urge the Food and Drug Administration to begin to address this problem.  
While I recognize it may be premature to institute an outright ban on 
antibiotic use in animal feeds, at the very least the FDA should begin to 
monitor antibiotic use in agriculture, including requiring reporting the 
amounts and types and locations of antibiotic use in animal feeds.  The FDA 
should also consider, in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture, 
instituting monitoring of antibiotic resistance in livestock-associated 
microbial populations, especially for microbes that either can transmit 
disease to humans or that can readily exchange genetic information with human 
pathogens. 

Sincerely, 

Stuart M. Flashman, Ph.D. (molec. biol.), J.D. 
5626 Ocean View Drive 
Oakland, CA 94618-1533 
(510) 652-5373