Dame Sally Davies is said to have urged vets to cut down the use of antibiotics.

BVA calls for chief medical officer to clarify comments reported by media

Britain's top medical advisor has been asked to clarify comments calling for sick animals to be slaughtered rather than treated with antibiotics.

The Daily Mail reported that chief medical officer (CMO) Dame Sally Davies said she had urged veterinary surgeons to slaughter rather than treat sick animals, in order to reduce antibiotic resistance in humans.

Dame Sally is said to have made the comments while speaking at the Cambridge Science Festival.

It has prompted the BVA to call for the CMO to clarify her remarks.

BVA president Robin Hargreaves said it was "unclear" from comments reported in the Mail whether the strategy applied to all animals, including pets, and how it would be implemented.

"We are seeking clarification of the CMO's comments to ensure the debate is based on facts," he explained.

"As veterinary surgeons our first duty is to the animals under our care," he said, "and that means providing the most appropriate treatment. Badly infected animals may need to be slaughtered for their own good or for the good of the herd or flock.

"But those that have a good chance of recovery and the opportunity to be productive should be treated with the appropriate antibiotics used responsibly.

"To suggest that treatable animals should be slaughtered makes no sense in terms of animal health, public health or the rural economy."

According to the UK 5 Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2013 to 2018, growing scientific evidence suggests the antimicrobial resistance faced in human medicine is "primarily the result of antibiotic use in people, rather than the use of antibiotics in animals."

The strategy states, however, that the use of antibiotics in animals - including fish, birds, bees and reptiles - is "an important factor contributing to the wider pool of resistance which may have long-term consequences."

Mr Hargreaves said the BVA is "not complacent" about the role of antibiotic use in veterinary medicine. He said the debate on resistance must be based on "sound assessment of the risks and sensible solutions."

Image: Author NHS Confederation, Flickr