BVA urges caution over Soil Association superbug claims
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has recommended caution after a Soil Association literature review cited 'overwhelming evidence' that resistant human E. Coli infections are being contributed to by the use of antibiotics by the UK livestock farming sector.
Instead, the BVA has highlighted the scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Agency, which argues that “Few studies designed to assess risk factors for ESBL and/or AmpC occurrence in animals are available. The use of antimicrobials is a risk factor for selection and spread of resistant clones, resistance genes and plasmids”. The same opinion also states that “How widespread ESBL-carrying bacteria are in food-producing animals in the breeding/rearing/fattening sectors is generally unknown.”
Commenting, President of the BVA Carl Padgett said “Claims by the Soil Association that there is ‘overwhelming evidence’ need to be treated with caution. The leading scientific panel in Europe has taken the view that the evidence is simply not there to draw such conclusions...The BVA is concerned that kneejerk reactions to the very real problem of antimicrobial resistance can lead to blanket restrictions on the use of these medicines by veterinary surgeons that are not backed up by scientific evidence. However, the Soil Association’s call for a stronger regulatory framework for the newer antibiotics is something the BVA supports wholeheartedly.”
Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.
