Critical antibiotics in veterinary medicine: sampling is mandatory again

date: 15/12/2020

The FAMHP announces the reintroduction of certain articles in the Royal Decree of 21 July 2016. Sampling is once again mandatory before using critical antibiotics in veterinary medicine. This measure applies to all veterinarians and people responsible for animals.

On 28 May 2019, the Council of State annulled articles 65 to 70 and annex IV of the Royal Decree of 21 July 2016  on the conditions for the use of medicines by veterinarians and people responsible for animals. EU Member States that impose a restriction on the use of authorized medicines must clearly notify the European Union, this had not been done for the articles mentioned above. In the meantime, the European notification procedure has been completed correctly and the annulled articles were republished in the Belgian Official Gazette.

Mandatory sampling
The reintroduced articles set the conditions once again for the use of so-called critical antibiotics in veterinary medicine. Specifically, this concerns fluoroquinolones and third-generation and fourth-generation cephalosporins. Veterinarians are obligated to carry out sampling before using these critical antibiotics with food-producing animals. Such sampling aims to isolate the pathogen and to test its sensitivity to antibiotics.

Increased use of critical antibiotics
The FAMHP reports an increase in the use of critical antibiotics with food-producing animals. In particular, the use of fluoroquinolones has clearly increased over the past year. This negative trend compromises the achievement of 2020 reduction objectives. The reintroduction of the articles on the use of critical antibiotics should once again reduce the use of critical antibiotics. 

Last updated on 15/12/2020