From: EXECSEC Sent: Friday, March 09, 2001 4:31 PM To: Dockets, FDA Subject: FW: End Use of Human Antibiotics in Livestock Feed > ---------- > From: Henney, Jane > Sent: Friday, March 09, 2001 4:30:38 PM > To: EXECSEC > Subject: FW: End Use of Human Antibiotics in Livestock Feed > Auto forwarded by a Rule > > > > ---------- > From: eleanorhelper@yahoo.com[SMTP:ELEANORHELPER@YAHOO.COM] > Sent: Friday, March 09, 2001 4:30:48 PM > To: jhenney@oc.fda.gov > Subject: End Use of Human Antibiotics in Livestock Feed > Auto forwarded by a Rule > Eleanor W. Helper 1606 Rayne Lane Columbus, OH 43220-3163 eleanorhelper@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. I am trained as a medical microbiologist and for years have been concerned about the overuse of antibiotics in animal feed for healthy animals. I have studied in the laboratory how readily bacteria mutate to resistant strains when exposed to antibiotics and am aware this happens in humans when antibiotics are used unnecessarily. I am aware that 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. Thanks you. Sincerely, Eleanor W. Helper