The World Health Organization (WHO) says farmers should cut down their use of antibiotics on livestock.

WHO said that would help stem the growth of drug-resistant bacteria in humans.

Farmers use the drugs to fight infection and promote weight gain.




WHO points to a landmark program in Denmark, the world's largest exporter of pork, which imposed a voluntary ban in 1998 on the use of drugs — also known as antimicrobials.

During the ban, the amount of resistant bacteria in pork and chicken declined dramatically.

Cutting out antibiotics raised costs for Danish farmers by one per cent but that was offset by increased consumer confidence and other benefits to human health.

The use of antibiotics in animal feed dropped by 54 per cent in Denmark after the ban.

"This program has been very beneficial in reducing microbial resistance in important food (stock)," said the WHO report.

WHO says overuse of drugs in livestock is partly behind a rise in the number of resistant bacteria found in livestock. The agency fears such bacteria can be transmitted to humans who eat affected meat.

The WHO report mimics one done by a Canadian committee of scientists in 2002. A panel concluded antibiotic-resistant bacteria is developing in humans because of what we eat.

The panel made several recommendations, one of which was that antibiotics for animals should be available only by A veterinarian's prescription, not over the counter as it is now.

The New England Journal of Medicine also called for a ban on the use of antibiotics in animals. The journal cited several studies saying the practice was causing health problems in people.