In France a survey of the use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine
was set up in connection with the Committee for the Marketing Authori
zation of Veterinary Medicinal Products. This survey has emphasized th
e importance of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine and the reality
of antibiotic resistance in both man and animals. Certain epidemiologi
cal data tend to demonstrate that the use of antibiotics in animals in
creases the risk of antibiotic resistance in man, through selection in
animals of resistant pathogenic bacteria or of a non-pathogenic resis
tant bacteria carrying resistance plasmids. Four proposals arc put for
ward for the control of these different risks: reserve certain antibio
tics (life-saving antibiotics) for human medicine, conform to a code o
f good practices for antibiotic use in animals, strengthen and connect
up existing networks for the epidemiosurveillance of antibiotic resis
tance, provide for studies on the ecological impact of antibiotics in
the registration dossiers for veterinary medicinal products. These evo
lutive measures, based on scientific progress in microbiology, epidemi
ology and clinical studies should respond satisfactorily to the expect
ations of all concerned.