India may ban Colistin, used to fatten poultry

Dec 04, 2018

India may ban Colistin, used to fatten poultry India may move to ban the use of antibiotic Colistin in poultry which has been rampantly used to fatten poultry. India has been at the centre of worldwide attention due its incremental rise in antibiotic resistance – associated infections and overall public health risks.

Government agencies including the department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, ministry of agriculture and farmers’ welfare, ministry of health and family welfare and the drug controller general of India have examined the issue and recommended that colistin cannot be used. Further, India’s top drug advisory body at its meeting held on 29 November decided that the drug should be banned for use in animals. Doctors call colistin a “last hope” antibiotic because it is used to treat patients with infections resistant to most drugs.

While the European Union banned colistin in 2006, Malaysia and China joined the list this year and do not permit the use of the antibiotic, both for therapeutic and growth promotion in animals. Such rampant use in poultry finds its way into the overall ecosystem which leads to development of infectious microbes that respond poorly to administered antibiotics.

Source : LiveMint