Half of antibiotics produced in China fed to animals
November 26th, 2010 - 4:30 pm ICT by IANSBeijing, Nov 26 (IANS) Nearly half of the antibiotics produced in China are being fed to animals rather than used to fight viruses in people, a media report said Friday.
Of the 210,000 tonnes of antibiotics made in China each year, 97,000 tonnes end up in animals, Xiao Yonghong, a professor from the Institute of Clinical Pharmacology of Peking University, was quoted as saying by the People’s Daily.
The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences found that over 50 percent of livestock breeders in Shandong and Liaoning provinces added antibiotics to their animals’ fodder.
“The overuse of antibiotics is common now, which has led to a rising death rate among animals as their immune systems are depressed,” said Qi Guanghai, deputy head of the Feed Research Institute under the academy.
A 650-gram premature baby born in Guangzhou developed resistance to seven kinds of antibiotics, due to his mother’s daily intake of meat and eggs that contained remnants of antibiotics, the report said.
China recently reported its first cases of the new NDM-1 superbug, which is resistant to nearly all antibiotics.
Tu Yan, a researcher from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said: “In Europe, antibiotics have been banned from being added to fodder for many years and a similar ban will be implemented in South Korea next year.”
China introduced antibiotics into its breeding industry for their outstanding effect on preventing diseases in the 1990s.
- Antibiotic-resistant superbugs 'could take us to pre-Penicillin era' - Apr 07, 2011
- 'Superbug scare meant to hit Indian medical tourism' - Dec 04, 2011
- Don't undermine superbug's presence: Former ICMR chief - Oct 04, 2011
- Delhi government meeting on superbug Friday - Oct 05, 2011
- Superbug doesn't pose health risk: Ministry - Apr 07, 2011
- Antibiotics can control superbug: Expert - May 04, 2011
- Scientists crack secret of superbug's resistance - Apr 29, 2011
- Japan confirms five more cases of New Delhi superbug - Sep 11, 2010
- Superbug does not pose risk: Health ministry (Lead) - Apr 07, 2011
- Japan confirms first case of NDM-1 gene, the antibiotics-resistant superbug - Sep 07, 2010
- Malaysian woman with New Delhi superbug never travelled overseas - Oct 27, 2010
- Killer 'New Delhi' superbug reaches New Zealand - Nov 21, 2010
- Chemical use a threat to China's grain output: Experts - Jul 18, 2011
- Taiwan reports first case of Delhi 'superbug' - Oct 05, 2010
- Health Ministry refutes CDC claims of Taiwan national getting superbug from India - Oct 12, 2010
Tags: academy of social sciences, agricultural sciences, chinese academy of social sciences, clinical pharmacology, death rate, deputy head, fodder, immune systems, kinds of antibiotics, liaoning, livestock breeders, ndm, overuse of antibiotics, peking university, premature baby, remnants, shandong, south korea, superbug, tonnes