The Danes are obviously feeling the pressure.
This Press Release, issued this morning, is a small move in the right direction, but it is unlikely to do much other than produce some good headlines.
They need some good headlines, but the real problem remains pigs.
And years of neglect and disinformation in Denmark, as in Britain, means there are no easy solutions.
You can't cure a sick industry with slick public relations and by arresting journalists exposing the problems, or indeed, as in Britain, organised harassment of critics, over many years.
It is a mechanical translation, that can be viewed here.
Cattle industry introduces voluntary moratorium on the use of critical antibiotics.
The use of critical antibiotics in Danish dairy farms should be reduced. It believes Agriculture and Food, with immediate effect introduces a voluntary moratorium on the treatment of animals with antibiotics type cephalosporins, which may increase the development of resistant bacteria.
PRESS RELEASE - 08th August 2014
Medicine consumption in Danish cattle housing has been steadily declining since 2010, and Denmark is among the countries in the world where the consumption of drugs in milk and beef production is at its lowest.
Nevertheless, the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria remains a problem.
To reduce the use of antibiotics critical types are cattle now itself and introduce a voluntary moratorium on the use of antibiotics type cephalosporins, which may increase the risk of development of resistant bacteria.
- Cattle industry should be very much help to keep the risk of developing resistance as low as possible. The use of the so-called third and fourth generation cephalosporins Since 2008 decreased by 50 per cent, but we want to reduce consumption further, says Peter Philipp, President of Food & Agriculture, Livestock.
Cephalosporins are broad-spectrum type of antibiotic that is on the WHO list of critically important antibiotics to treat sick people. It is used among other things to blood poisoning.
The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics makes bacteria resistant to the antibiotic type.In the case of cefalosporinresistens the bacteria are also resistant to other common antibiotics.
Resistance makes it impossible to treat, for example, blood poisoning in humans.
The voluntary ban means that cattle farmers are encouraged to replace cephalosporins with another treatment, unless there is a prior laboratory study showing that cephalosporins are the only treatment for a particular ailment.
- We can not stop the use of cephalosporins complete the simple reason that we have some infections, where it is important for animal welfare to use cephalosporins. This is exemplified malignant mastitis and acute pneumonia in cows, which is very painful.Here, these substances are crucial for a fast and effective treatment. Therefore, a voluntary moratorium under certain conditions the best solution, says Peter Philipp.
An international study by the European Medicines Agency announced in October 2013 shows that consumption of 3 rd and 4th generation cephalosporins was an average of 0.24 mg per kg animal in the 25 countries surveyed. But the Danish consumption was only one-sixth of this consumption.
Nevertheless, consumption is further reduced, says Peter Philipp.
- In many cases, using cattle farmers continue to cephalosporins for the treatment of disorders of the uterus and for disorders of the legs, where alternatives exist. And this is especially the consumption we would like to have gone. We therefore strengthen our guidelines now, says the chairman.
The voluntary ban comes into force immediately.
