From: EXECSEC Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2001 8:45 PM To: Dockets, FDA Subject: FW: End Use of Human Antibiotics in Livestock Feed > ---------- > From: Henney, Jane > Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2001 8:45:05 PM > To: EXECSEC > Subject: FW: End Use of Human Antibiotics in Livestock Feed > Auto forwarded by a Rule > > > > ---------- > From: macskuli@yahoo.com[SMTP:MACSKULI@YAHOO.COM] > Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2001 8:45:33 PM > To: jhenney@oc.fda.gov > Subject: End Use of Human Antibiotics in Livestock Feed > Auto forwarded by a Rule > Rita Margarita 159 Susan Court Kendall Park, NJ 08824 macskuli@yahoo.com Dear Dr. Henney, I am writing in support of Petition 99P-0485 to urge you to ban medically useful antibiotics from livestock feed. As you must know, the company, Monsanto was aware as early as 1989 that cows treated with growth hormones developed sores and lesions on their udders and their milk contained increased levels of pus and bacteria. In order to deal with the problem, Monsanto's top dairy scientist, Margo Miller left the firm and joined the FDA. Once there, she arbitrarily changed the existing antibiotic standard. She increased the allowable level of antibiotics by 100 times. The consequences were that antibiotics resistant bacteria developed, just one can logically expect it from such a treatment. Published in the New England Journal of Med is a story about a little boy with an antibiotics resistant Salmonella infection. The molecular analysis showed that the strain comes from antobiotics treated cattle!!! Oh, and what happened to Margaret Miller after fraudulently hiding the harmful effect of growth hormon on cows? Absolutely nothing. She still happily regulates business at the FDA. Now I have two questions for you: 1/ How come that this woman is still at the FDA, instead of sitting in jail for corruption? 2/ How would you feel if that child that was infected with resistant bacteria were yours? For decades, livestock producers have fed 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 has proven that the overuse of antibiotics for livestock makes the drugs less effective for humans. 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 an antibiotic to be used in livestock feed if that antibiotic is used in human medicine. Please tell me how you plan to address this looming health crisis. Sincerely, Rita Margarita