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NOAH clarifies critically important antibiotics
Antibiotics
"All classes of antibiotics, whether critically important or not, should be used responsibly" - Donal Murphy, NOAH.
Document divides antimicrobials into risk categories

A document to clarify which antibiotics should be considered as critically important has been published by the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH).

The document comes after an assessment by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and aims to clear up any confusion about which antibiotics should be considered in this group.

Carried out by the Antimicrobial Advice Ad Hoc Expert Group (AMEG), the work has resulted in the further categorisation of critically important antibiotics (CIAs) into risk categories.

Category one contains antimicrobials that are considered a low or limited risk to public health. It includes macrolides, certain penicillins and tetracyclines. NOAH states that these ‘should be used with current responsible use practices to keep their risk low’.

Category two contains antimicrobials that are considered a high risk to public health. This includes fluroquinolones, 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins and colistin. NOAH adds that these antimicrobials ‘should only be used when there are no alternative antimicrobials authorised for the respected target species and indication’.

“NOAH believes the classification and use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine should be driven and guided by the regulators, who are independent and make science based decisions and recommendations,” said Donal Murphy, head of technical and regulatory affairs at NOAH.

“Of course, all classes of antibiotics, whether critically important or not, should be used responsibly and guided by the principle outlined by the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) who state they should be used ‘as little as possible but as much as necessary’.

“The use of these important products in this manner can ensure that the availability and efficacy of antibiotics can be maintained to ensure animal health and welfare in the future,” he adds.

To view the document and other NOAH briefing documents on antibiotics visit noah.co.uk.

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise 100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.