Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

To the Editor:

In “Cows
on Drugs” (Op-Ed, April 18), Donald Kennedy states that giving
antibiotics to large numbers of animals raised for food leads to
antibiotic resistance in humans. It is important to note that there is
no evidence that banning or limiting the use of antibiotics in
food-producing animals has decreased the rate and severity of resistant
infections in humans.

Antibiotics are an important part of the
veterinarian’s tool kit. Using antibiotics judiciously to prevent
diseases before they occur and controlling them before they spread help
protect the health and well-being of food animals and, ultimately, the
safety of our food supply.

Passing legislation like the Preservation
of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act, which would ban the use
of these antibiotics before science-based studies are done to determine
if there is an actual risk to human health, would have a negative effect
on animal health and food safety.

Larry Corry
Schaumburg, Ill., April 19, 2010
The writer, a
veterinarian, is president of the American Veterinary Medical
Association.

Note from KBJ: We must protect the health and well-being of the animals so that when we slaughter them, they are healthy and well!